<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Exegesis by itachis-sick-ass-mf-sword (driftershiddenfivehead)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23175613">Exegesis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/driftershiddenfivehead/pseuds/itachis-sick-ass-mf-sword'>itachis-sick-ass-mf-sword (driftershiddenfivehead)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thread Between Worlds [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien/Human Relationships, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Hyuuga Hinata, Background Relationships, Blood and Violence, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epic, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fourth Shinobi War, Gen, Heavy Angst, Humor, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internal Conflict, Light Angst, M/M, Major canon divergence, Mental Health Issues, Nature Versus Nurture, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychology, Slow Burn, Smut, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, The Monkey's Paw, naruto and sasuke having wives doesn't invalidate their attraction to eachother</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:00:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>150,402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23175613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/driftershiddenfivehead/pseuds/itachis-sick-ass-mf-sword</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Long ago, two Otsutsuki arrived on Earth- one a progenitor, one forgotten- both lurking in the shadows of history. A millennium later, Madara Uchiha revealed his plan in a declaration of war. No one believed him until a third Otsutsuki appeared; a defector who offered to fight alongside the villages against the insane clan. Humanity saw the face of their true enemy, and was given a choice. One revelation leads to a revolution of values, and the unraveling of a long and invisible thread woven through time. The truth changes everything.</p><p>This is the original, crack version: my 'rough draft, get it out of my system, go crazy' outlet. Alt/Rewrite is called Arrival if you want a more serious story that doesn't have porn. Humor will stay(toned down) because I love it, but the writing is more polished, mature, uniform, etc. This story will likely receive new chapters before Arrival does, until they are(if) caught up! Since I have to rewrite them, and I tend to take my time doing so. Aka there's a LOT to fix. :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke &amp; Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thread Between Worlds [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Close Encounters of the Cheeky Kind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the midst of a world war, Konoha jonin Neji Hyuga and his trusty sidekicks Wii Sports and Space Buns make a shocking discovery while patrolling the territory surrounding the Hidden Leaf.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you're coming here from Arrival...spoil at your own risk. (The stories are separate for a reason)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b><span class="u">Chapter 1: Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind</span> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>Present - Land of Fire</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Rain pelted against the wooden roof of the small cabin, the loud thrum blocking out all other sounds as he sat and stared out of a squared window. Droplets of water collected on the glass, clinging together and rushing downwards in such a manic expression that it seemed as if they were trying to escape from something. What great terror awaited them that caused even the clouds to shudder and the rain to show fear? The corners of his mouth twitched upwards at such an absurd thought. Many powerful men and beasts had trod the bloodied soil of this planet, yet here he still sat. Bored, and waiting.</p><p> </p><p>An incredible clap of thunder shook the walls and rumbled along the storm front, eliciting a frightened whimper from a figure huddled in the back corner of the room. His nerves tingled with anticipatory rapture as the atmospheric pressure dropped impossibly low, indicating the arrival of his muse. Licking his lips, he stood up and cracked each of his knuckles one by one, groaning from the relieved tension. Turning away from the picturesque chaos, he crossed the room and stood over the bound individual now cowering at his feet. He afforded them a brief moment of pity while he twirled a small mallet between two fingers, not wanting to disrespect the woman who provided him this vessel some years ago. Something inside him dared her to say his name. She did not.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tap. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Narrow black eyes watched with cold indifference as the body slumped over, a solitary tear dripping down off of her slacked jaw and joining the rain in its pursuit of safety. </p><p> </p><p>“Tell me, what good are mere Kings when contested by the Gods?”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Tearing through the forest, she left a trail of broken limbs and deep mud-tracks in the wake of the fury that was blurring the edges of her vision and acidifying her blood. </p><p> </p><p>Once those pent up emotions were allowed to run rampant, there was nothing left to keep her inner rage from boiling over and incinerating everything within reach. The mind’s eye opened to bring forth the truth from where it hid, a blue sphere of sight emerging from blackened sclera. Two small horns elongated until they were spiraling, deadly appendages capable of extracting agonized screams from whoever dared to venture too close. A red marking on her lower lip blackened and stretched down the center of her chin, continuing across her neck before branching off to cover the rest of her body in geometric patterns. Like a living tattoo, an ominous warning displayed upon her flesh. </p><p> </p><p>Sharp talons of metal and bone displaced her fingers and toes, the combination of platinum and organic tissue glinting in the darkness. New bone formations split from the back of her rib cage and curled behind her like skeletal wings making sense of her floating form. The Rinnegan blinked in her palm, producing a glowing blue Shinkin. Gripping the base, she thrust it into the air and released a feral, otherworldly roar. </p><p> </p><p>A column of lightning struck the sword, called forth by the siren song of salvation.</p><p> </p><p>Obsidian and cyan chakra billowed around her like a cloak, crackling with electricity as the thunder sang out its welcome. An orb of black truth materialized within her palm and she batted it into the earth with the blunt end of the sword. Shock waves of electrified gravity exploded outwards from the point of impact, magnified by the turbulent downpour. The night skies lit up like daytime and nothing could escape being illuminated by her truth. Scorched trees shook violently in its wake, succumbing to their damage and crumbling along with the earth beneath them. Birds flocked to the skies as they fled in terror, narrowly escaping the fate of the flora they nested in. </p><p> </p><p>The ferocity of the storm was a comfort compared to death’s incarnate, levitating beneath its front.</p><p> </p><p>As if the rain was quenching the fires within, lucidity quelled her mind once again. The demonic transformation rescinded during the next minute, leaving an unassuming young woman to float calmly in its place. The sole survivor of a divine cataclysm. Scolding herself internally, she glanced around to assess the destroyed woodland and large crater of which she was the epicenter. </p><p> </p><p>"Shit," she cursed. Between her unbecoming language and inappropriate outburst, she could practically feel her father’s relentless, unwavering resentment and hear the vitriol pouring from his mouth and suffocating her small form, filling her lungs until she was drowning in an ocean of hate. Such supreme cruelty and ass-holery seemed to transcend dimensions and space-time itself. "I'll kill that evil, demented fucker too. Someday!"</p><p> </p><p>The Otsutsuki King was ruthless, villainous, and corrupted. Pure evil, every cell comprising the disgusting waste of flesh that was his body radiated with malintent and oppression. For her entire life his insatiable need for power and control smothered her, entrapping her in a literal prison built from his antagonism. The closest thing to happiness she had ever experienced was a brief childhood friendship with her elder cousin, Kaguya. </p><p> </p><p>Now that she’d managed to escape, saying she was anything less than lusting for the blood of everyone who swore fealty to her father would be the understatement of an eternity. She was a victim, a survivor on a path towards redemption. Kaguya and her asshole partner Isshiki were the lucky firsts on her intergalactic shit-list.</p><p> </p><p>Poetic, Isshiki leaving her here. Karma can be a real bitch.</p><p> </p><p>"Fuck his damned Credo. After I deal with Kaguya and Isshiki I <em> will </em> come for you, Outosan. My sole purpose is to prevent you from ruining this damned universe, so don’t think I am above ending your life. And if- no- <em> when </em> I do," she paused, turning her face to the obscured stars and raising a fist in solidarity. "I will piss on your grave, dattebayo!" she screamed, her words fading into an unholy battle cry that ended up sounding more like a screech. </p><p>Torrential rain poured into her open mouth and assaulted the back of her exposed throat, causing her to sputter and flail her arms about, accidentally smacking her hand on one of the now small horns protruding from her forehead. Hissing in pain, she began to angrily tug on her soaked hair, muttering a stream of curses and stomping around in the puddle that had formed under her feet. </p><p> </p><p>"This is the true power of youth!" A voice yelled from the distant treeline.</p><p> </p><p>Head snapping up, she immediately found the source. If not for being so pissed off, she would’ve been embarrassed by the failure to detect any other chakra signatures. For a natural sensor and possessor of a powerful kekkei mora, it should have been literally impossible to miss a glaring detail such as the three living beings standing fifty meters ahead. Or perhaps she had noticed them, but she was too busy groveling in angst to acknowledge it. That had to be it.</p><p> </p><p>Her ethereal gaze traveled over the three humans- Shinobi, she guessed, judging by the hitai-ates Toneri had told her about- who stood at the edge of her crater. The one who’d spoken was mirroring her raised fist, with his strange bushy eyebrows contorted into an expression of chronic and possibly terminal over-enthusiasm. To his right was a muscular woman with chocolate colored buns on either side of her head, mouth agape with abject horror. She wondered how much they had seen, hoping they’d missed her unsightly transformation. The truth stood to the left of the green dude, where a tall man with long black hair and bright violet eyes was staring at her in a mixture of disgust and confusion. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Damn, they probably saw.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>They all looked to be around her age. Or at least, whatever the human equivalent of her maturity stage was. Panicking, she impulsively probed their minds for information, starting with the man who had yelled at her. Intruding like this without consent was an idea that normally repulsed her, but she was too disoriented and emotional to resist the temptation. </p><p> </p><p>Finding nothing particularly useful or intelligible from the green man, she moved on to the woman, who assessed the urgent situation and decided that their leader needed to be informed. Toneri had shared something about these ‘Kage’ that led the villages or something. Useful, but perhaps the other man could tell her more. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I don't think I've ever seen such a revolting woman in my life, assuming it even is one. Female anatomy should not be contorted like that, it has to be a crime against nature. This is it. This is the woman who cursed my dick. My libido will never recover from this.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Focusing her gaze on the tall man, his thoughts were injected into her like venom; she would need thicker skin going forwards.  </p><p> </p><p>"YOU!" she yelled, floating towards him and pointing a finger in accusation. The femininity of her voice compared to what they had seen and heard five minutes ago only added to their confusion and dread. For all they knew she was some kind of succubus who had recently broken through the gates of the underworld, and likely not a talented one. </p><p> </p><p>No panties had ever been twisted like hers were in that moment. His eyes flickered from her face down to the space between her feet and the ground, and back up again. He took a step away from her and thrust a kunai between their bodies, like <em> that </em> would somehow shield him from the scorned woman’s wrath. Seemingly breaking from their trance, the other two ninja joined in, jumping to either side of him to set a defensive stance. Paying no mind to their movements, she kept her gaze locked onto his violet eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"How <em> dare </em> you objectify me right now, you pervert! I’ll have you know that I have a barren field of fucks to give about whether or not you think I’m worthy of your expired dick milk. Believe it or not, I have a conscience, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself knowing how <em> devastated </em> your left hand would be were I to steal away its soulmate. In fact, I’m starting to feel bad about all those trees I killed because now there are even less of them to replace the oxygen you waste. It must have been a sad day when you slithered out of the abortion bucket." She flew off the handle, squeezing every last drop of her anger out and spitting it at him. The man's stoic expression shattered and his eyes widened in shock, mouth falling open slightly as she finished. </p><p> </p><p>Neji was not expecting her, or anyone, or anything other than an out-of-line Yamanaka to read his thoughts. And she definitely was <em> not </em> related to Ino. Upon closer inspection it was possible that she was pretty, but behind the dirt, rain, and unflinching scowl on her face it was hard to tell. Besides, the complexion and skin markings didn’t line up either. In fact they almost looked like...no, not possible. Furthermore, he had never been so thoroughly roasted by a woman. The pure anger behind her words was mildly arousing, which in turn was absolutely disgusting. Was he a masochist or something? A light blush crept up his cheeks, prompting him to quickly regain his composure and narrow his eyes at her in equal accusation. </p><p> </p><p>"Who are you, and why are you destroying the forest outside of the leaf? Do you intend to <em> physically </em> attack us?" </p><p> </p><p>The rain was slowing, and the blade of his kunai glinted in the light of the setting sun that managed to peek through a gap in the clouds, casting a reddish glow onto their faces. Despite his impressive dismissal of her tirade, she could feel the fear radiating from all of them. It was almost laughable, trying to hide strong emotions from a virtual empath. She wondered if they even knew what she was. Surely Kaguya would have made an impression here? Her trail had gone cold, so she must have stayed on this planet. </p><p> </p><p>They faced off in awkward silence as Aratashiki got a closer look at the three shinobi. Her gaze traveled up and down the apparent leader of the trio who was threatening her with a knife. She was fully prepared to whoop his ass into last week, but decided to size him up first as she didn’t want to kill anyone. His features were sharp and regal, in contrast to her own feminine complexion, and long hair that she now realized was dark brown- not black- framed the pale skin of his face. He was actually attractive. What luck, she’d just hopped off the space train and already met a hottie. Once she was done being a hypocrite, she met his eyes again, gasping in shock when she realized what was in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This man possesses the Byakugan, he must be one of Kaguya’s descendants. Surely he or his family will know where she is, or at the very least where she was last seen. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Unbeknownst to her, her shameless scrutiny had only added to the group’s discomfort. They each felt exposed and violated by her unintentionally salacious gaze. </p><p> </p><p>"Miss," the man wearing a questionable green jumpsuit, piped up. "I appreciated your honest review of Neji, but I cannot offer any compensation at this time. We must apprehend you and return to the leaf village!"</p><p> </p><p> Aratashiki scoffed at the insult, jerking her head back and placing her hands on her hips. "You can't arrest me! Do you know who I am-"  </p><p> </p><p>"No, we don't, and you are wreaking havoc inside our territory. During a war, no less. Which is precisely <em> why </em>we must apprehend you." Neji growled at her, cutting her off and activating his Byakugan in preparation for a fight.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, that little mess?" Aratashiki glanced over her shoulder at the patch of forest she had decimated. "I can patch that up. One sec." </p><p> </p><p>"Hey," Tenten yelled, "what is she doing?"</p><p> </p><p>Facing away from the leaf shinobi, she stretched her arms forward and captured the landscape within the gaze of the Rinne Sharingan on each palm. Intertwining her chakra with the surrounding nature’s energy, she rotated her hands- as if turning knobs in opposite directions- to strengthen her connection. The combined chakra traced the subatomic trajectories of the displaced material back to its static position, and she reconstructed it by using the quantum after-image like an intricate puzzle. Slowly, she reverted the broken landscape back to its previous state. </p><p> </p><p>The rain had completely stopped by that point, and when she finished, she ran her fingers through her long silvery hair to try and dry it out. With a contented sigh, she pulled it over her shoulder and began braiding the strands, admiring her artistry for a moment. Turning back to the awestruck trio, she offered them an innocent smile and continued to braid her hair while addressing the group.</p><p> </p><p>"You were saying something about a war, but rest assured: I come in peace." </p><p> </p><p>Neji and his compatriots gawked at the area behind her. Not a branch was out of place. "How did...who are you?" </p><p> </p><p>“Dai saishi Otsutsuki Aratashiki,” she gave a sarcastic bow. “Keep an eye out for any secret doors that might’ve opened up now.”</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t appear to understand her self-deprecating joke. Waving a hand in dismissal, Aratashiki's features hardened in determination as her blue eyes met his. She was sick of being rained on and had a growing curiosity to satiate. </p><p> </p><p>"Anyways. I don't have time to explain what I don't have time to explain. Take me to your leader!" she demanded.</p><p> </p><p>In a flash Neji was behind her, binding her arms with a thread of chakra while Tenten pressed a kunai to her throat. Neji forced her down by the shoulders until her feet sank into the thick mud. Great, now she was even filthier than before.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, she said she came in peace! Let’s not escalate the current situation!” the strange green man exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Nice to see at least one of them has manners! Though it could also be stupidity. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Not now, you imbecile!” Neji snapped at the man who had spoken. </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki could have escaped effortlessly, but decided it was in her favor to play along. Besides, she had already wasted enough of her chakra, and was rather excited by the prospect of seeing a human settlement. So far they were engaging creatures. Endearing, even. Man, first contact and she was already catching feels for humanity. This was...a good sign? Maybe.</p><p> </p><p>Neji shoved her forwards as Tenten clutched onto her side, and began marching Aratashiki in the direction of what she assumed was ‘the leaf’. She frowned when her warden leaned down to whisper in her ear. </p><p> </p><p>“I can see how much chakra you have. It's inhuman. Why haven’t you killed us?” </p><p> </p><p>“Like I said, I come in peace. And I already am starting to like you guys, which is really generous considering the shit inside of your head.” She turned her head to glare at her captor. “Pretty rude of you to assume I’m some killer, you know!” </p><p> </p><p>“Pretty rude of you to invade my privacy and then throw a hissy fit when you don’t like what you find. After all, you were the one screaming about murder after transforming into a flying, demonic version of yourself. Additionally, you called forth lightning and used it to instantaneously destroy kilometers of forest. Lastly, you erased all of the damage like it was no big deal. Or have you already forgotten about all of that?” </p><p> </p><p>“Point taken, and I apologize for projecting my fury onto you. But, you’re still a sexist pervert.” Aratashiki yanked her wrists from his grasp, careful not to break the bindings, and stomped forwards, spraying mud in her wake. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, watch it! Grab her, Lee!” Tenten said. Lee picked up his pace to follow her, but made no attempt at physical contact. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not running away, so no need to act all gangster. You’re just slow.” Aratashiki rolled her eyes and continued moving. </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t even know where the village is,” Neji reminded her, jogging to catch up and seizing her arms once again. She felt the sharp tip of a kunai poking the base of her spine.</p><p> </p><p>“And? I’m a sensor, it can’t be too hard to find.” In her mind, Aratashiki was imagining a giant leaf with humans hiding underneath it. Admittedly not the most realistic conjecture, but a girl could dream.</p><p> </p><p>Shooting her a look of disdain, Neji replied. “Then by all means, lead the way. We are heading for Konohagakure; you’re in the Land of Fire.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, what a creative name.” Aratashiki’s voice was thick with sarcasm. “For a supposed land of fire, it sure is pretty wet”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop talking and move. Please.” </p><p> </p><p>She was dying to bite back, but swallowed her pride to comply with his demand. After all, he did say please.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Land of Fire - Warring States Era</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The orchestrations of battle pervaded the area around him; swords clashed, armor clattered, flesh tore, men grunted and screamed as they ripped the lives out of one another, altogether composing a magnificent and terrifying symphony. Suffocating, the stench of blood and death and earth clung to everything, lingering in the lower atmosphere like a noxious fog. His chest burned as ragged breaths forced their way through the cracked lips of a dry mouth, desperate to gather more oxygen for his aching lungs and tired muscles. If he paused for even a moment he would surely collapse from exhaustion; it is always harder to start moving again than to keep doing so without stopping in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Izuna Uchiha had never felt more alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Dipping underneath and dodging around the pointed blows of his enemies with ease, Izuna displayed his impressive skill and expertise in taijutsu even without the employ of his sharingan. Using his katana he cut down the Senju’s men left and right, the blade becoming a vessel for his hatred of the rival clan. Blood sprayed across his face and wet his black hair as he slit the throat of the shinobi unfortunate enough to wind up in front of him. He licked his lips to taste the mess he’d created, grinning victoriously while he watched the body collapse, the partially decapitated head of some poor Senju fool bouncing against the rocks as it fell. Lifeless eyes stared into the sky, and for a brief moment Izuna wondered what it was the dead were seeing, why they were always looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A flash of white hair caught his attention, coaxing him back into the fray of combat. Metallic ringing filled his ears when his blade clanged against Tobirama Senju’s ninjatō, the sound resonating high-pitched and clear like a bell used to signal the beginning of a spar - yet this was far from a duel between comrades. The rest of the world fell off, giving way to a deafening silence; violence and instinct took over Izuna’s mind and body while he fought ferociously against his sworn nemesis. Sharingan crimson challenged albino red, gazes locked as they danced around death, with the guided elegance in each step accentuated by the melodic cries of their fallen clansmen. Shadows being all that remained of the aforementioned men around them, a lone figure in Izuna’s periphery jutted out from the mist, snaring his attention like a feline beast latching onto the throat of unsuspecting prey, and-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>The man in the moon comes down too soon...</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes snapped to the horizon at the behest of the stranger’s cryptic, nonsensical voice inside of his head. It was night. The stars winked down at him in sinister flirtations; the unknown beckoned with the long, curling claws of a predator. Only a moment ago it was mid-morning; how long had he been fighting? It was a relief to find reprieve - always fighting, they were always fighting. He was tired of fighting, he decided; tired of funerals, tired of falling asleep to the wails of bereaved mothers as they held tight the cold remains of their slaughtered children, tired of the haunted looks in his relative’s eyes, the same look his own bore; tired of council meetings filled with hopeless optimism, of frivolous desires for a peace that would either never come or if it did, would never last. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The battlefield was again devoid of sound or motion, the air stagnant and chilled. Warmth pooled around him, thick with the metallic scent of hemoglobin as it bombarded his olfactory senses with particulate erythrocytes . Blood. His blood, spilling from the mutilated clump of tissue that was formerly his abdomen, cradling his body as it grew cold. Confusing at first; what weapon would cause such a mess? Surely the sleek form of a steel sword would not. A faint twitch of his fingers brought with it the realization that the hand preceding them was entangled within the wound, bound to it by the gristle and sinew viciously torn from his entrails, as if he had been mutilating his own-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Blinking at the night sky, his mind suddenly cleared of all previous thought; there was no pain, his nervous system had long since gone into and beyond hypovolemic shock. The moon swallowed his vision and consumed his soul. His everything. Madara. His brother. The man; the Moon. He stopped the man, didn’t he - he sure hoped so. Madara and the moon. The only two things that mattered. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The night was dark. Too dark. Oh, God, oh god when did the sky become so dark?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was unable to look away from its omnipotent gaze. Blood red swirling with rings, swimming with tomoe. Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu; he counted nine. It was divine, complete, final; the moon will take care of him, of everyone. The alpha and omega, the first and the last, the beginning and - and it is everything, nothing. It is infinite. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Izuna understands now, why the dead are always looking up. He sees it, too.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Present - Konohagakure</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>They arrived at the so-called village less than an hour later. Aratashiki was unimpressed, to say the least. The village sat in the center of what seemed to be a massive crater. A wide road cut through the middle, surrounded by newly constructed buildings. The buildings were mostly small and wooden, with some larger constructs in progress. Practically everything was wood, now that she looked closer. Did they not have other materials? What a massive fire hazard, perhaps that’s why it's called the Land of <em> Fire </em>. Aratashiki’s eyes were drawn to a mountain just beyond the far edge of the crater, where the faces of four men and one woman were sculpted into the rock. Judging all of the people below with their stony eyes and upturned noses.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell happened here? And what’s with those creepy faces?” she asked, stopping to take in the sorry state of their home. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re not in a position to be asking questions,” Neji replied, jabbing the kunai into her back to get her moving again. He knew that what he said was bullshit- given what he had just seen- but he honestly didn’t know what else to tell her in this fucked situation they’d gotten into.</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki huffed in annoyance but stopped her questioning for the moment, subtly turning her palms towards the ground. “Fine, I’ll just see for myself.” </p><p>In true ignoramus fashion, she wasted an ass load of chakra searching memories until she found the thing that had caused such destruction. Some emaciated red-haired dude with a bunch of emo ginger puppets, who was stopped by another dude with the complexion of a tennis ball. And no, not with chakra or a jutsu, but with an emotional monologue. The man had a good message, but the success of it was a bit absurd. Angry-skeleton’s eyes, though, were a point of interest. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Pain’, huh? A human with the rinnegan...and he even learned the Inochi no uta! But it seems he lacked the chakra to survive it. How intriguing...perhaps there is more to this species than meets the eye, if they can evolve that dojutsu. I knew there was a reason I felt drawn to them, other than being visited by Kaguya. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She nearly collapsed from exhaustion and the brief but explosive migraine that always accompanied use of that ability. With Tenten now supporting her arms to keep her upright, the group guided Aratashiki off of the main road towards a small wooden home set apart from the rest. As in, located away from them. It was just as drab as the rest. Who puts their leader in such a crappy place? Sheesh. The exterior was surrounded by serious looking shinobi who tensed and withdrew their weapons upon the group’s approach. </p><p> </p><p>“We must speak with the Lady Hokage urgently!” Lee said, raising his hands up as if to calm the guards. At that moment, Lee couldn’t have calmed a rock even if his life depended on it. </p><p> </p><p>As expected, they didn’t stand down. Just as Aratashiki opened her mouth to speak, a young woman with short black hair and a small pink animal in her arms stepped out from behind a curtain covering the entry. The creature in her arms squealed in terror while the woman startled in reaction to Aratashiki's foreign appearance. She began frantically swatting the curtain covering the doorway, not taking her eyes off of the visitor. </p><p> </p><p>"Lady Tsunade! Lady Tsunade, I think you should see this person!" </p><p> </p><p>An annoyed voice grumbled from within the hut. "Shizune, just bring them to me, dammit!"</p><p> </p><p>"Uh, y-yes Lady Tsunade!" The woman, Shizune, approached their group cautiously, staying at a safe distance. A <em> very </em> safe distance, such that it was almost offensive. Really, Aratashiki was not scary looking, especially when compared to the vast majority of her clansmen. Shizune finally tore her eyes away to address her captors. "Neji, bring her inside. Tenten, Lee- go find Kakashi. Now!" </p><p> </p><p>The latter two scurried off to find this mysterious 'Kakashi' person while Neji forced Aratashiki to walk forwards again. Shizune held the curtain open, leaning as far away from her as possible when she entered. A blonde woman with a large bosom and a small rhombus marking her forehead sat behind a low wooden table, empty ramen bowls piled high on either side of her. It seemed like she had just rolled out of bed. Two guards were positioned at both ends of the room, each with their hand over their weapon pouches. Aratashiki used her sensory abilities to examine the figure in front of her. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Impressive chakra for a human; she is definitely their leader. That mark on her forehead almost looks like karma, and it seems to be connected to her chakra pathways. Lady Tsunade, the other woman had called her. I wonder… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki let out a small giggle, breaking the chakra threads binding her wrists so that she could cover her mouth with her hand to stifle the rest of her laugh. Tsunade opened her eyes and scowled, slamming her fist on the table. "Something funny?" Large brown eyes finally looked in her direction, widening as they tried to comprehend what she was looking at. </p><p> </p><p>"Well, you have so much chakra, I just wondered if...if your breast size allowed you to store more..." Aratashiki slapped her other hand over her mouth, immediately regretting the statement. She had a strange curse that would flare up every once in a while, often in important situations. It rendered her incapable of appropriate verbal responses, causing her to say embarrassing and sometimes completely nonsensical things. </p><p> </p><p>Shizune, Neji, and Tsunade all gaped at her while she started to blush. Neji coughed and fumbled his kunai, dropping it onto the floor where it landed with a soft thud. The sound seemed to dispel Tsunade’s shock, and she threw her head back to let out a loud cackle, clutching her sides and knocking over several bows in the process. Shizune began to giggle nervously, while Neji remained completely silent and as stiff as a board. </p><p>The distress emanating from the man nearly drowned out the playful aura surrounding Tsunade. After a few moments, Tsunade regained control of her breathing and settled down, fanning her face while looking up at Aratashiki. </p><p> </p><p>"Who- no, what- the hell are you?" she asked. </p><p> </p><p>"I am High Priestess Aratashiki Otsutsuki, daughter of Emperor Junichiro Otsutsuki of the Otsutsuki clan. I am here to inquire about the whereabouts of Kaguya Otsutsuki." Aratashiki finished her painfully flowery introduction with a deep bow of respect. Best to stick to formalities on the off-chance they’d already endured the misfortune of being made cognizant of her father’s existence.  </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade gave her a look of bewilderment. "Otsutsuki clan, you mean the clan that was wiped out? What emperor?"</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki could see the thoughts racing through her mind as Tsunade tried to piece together the information. Although tempted again, she resisted the urge to probe the woman's thoughts out of respect. That was a habit she could not allow to form.</p><p> </p><p>"What are your intentions?" </p><p> </p><p>Clearing her throat, Aratashiki repeated her earlier statement. "As I said, Hokage-sama, I simply wish to locate Kaguya Otsutsuki. I neither intend to nor am I interested in harming you and your people. Forgive me for saying this, but if that <em> were </em>my intention you would be long dead." </p><p> </p><p>Misinterpreting her words as a threat, the two guards drew their weapons and advanced towards Aratashiki. Oops. At times she had a way with words, and other times not so much. When it came to the shit she came up with, the odds were good but the goods were odd. </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade stood, holding out her arms to halt their advance. “Stand down.” </p><p> </p><p>Both shinobi stopped, but did not retreat or stow their weapons. The tense silence that followed was only broken when a grey-haired man with a mask covering half of his face stepped into the room. Immediately, she got mega-douche vibes. The arrogant kind. Aratashiki’s gaze latched onto him, taking notice of the Sharingan in his left eye. When their eyes met she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Tsunade. A blessing, as she was probably about to say something divisive.</p><p> </p><p>“Kakashi, thank you for coming on such short notice. Everyone else, out!” Shizune and the guards began to leave, and Neji’s presence behind her retreated as he tried to escape. “Not you, Neji. Stay here.” </p><p> </p><p>Squashing his discontent with a short bow, Neji resumed his position slightly behind and to the side of Aratashiki. She cursed to herself, suddenly remembering the state of her appearance and feeling self-conscious.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I can’t negotiate looking like this! What a disaster. I should just...no, I shouldn’t. No. At this rate I’m going to be out of chakra if that attack. But...ugh, fuck it. Yes, I really, really should.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade began speaking. “This is-”</p><p> </p><p>Twitching her fingers discreetly, Aratashiki used her rinnegan and slowed time to an infinitesimal crawl. Letting loose a dramatic sigh she quickly rolled out her tense shoulders, needing to hurry before her chakra was completely depleted. She created a specular reflection of herself by gathering moisture from the air and pooling it into a smooth surface.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, I can’t believe I’ve been looking so ratché this entire time…”</p><p> </p><p>Heat rose to her cheeks as fresh embarrassment set in. Her hair was dry- tinted yellow-brown from dirt and kami knew what else- and her braid was lopsided. There was blood smeared on her horn from when her hand whacked it. She brought the hand in question to her face, but the wound was already healed. Looking down, she saw that mud caked her bare feet and legs, and the pale blue kimono she adorned was now tattered and stained. </p><p> </p><p>Fucking A. What a great first impression she was making.</p><p> </p><p>Raising her arm to her face, she gave it a good sniff and recoiled from the pungent odor of ozone and dirt.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Kaguya would never let herself look this bad, and I refuse to be one-upped by a thot like her. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki did a little jumpy dance to motivate herself and then got to work, using more water from the air to scrub the grime and dirt away. Clean and wet, she gathered chakra around her hands and used it to dry everything out. Consulting her reflection for support, she wove her hair into a much more elegant braid than the first. The kimono was a disaster, but so was her life. Besides, maybe it would make her look tough or something.</p><p> </p><p>Feeling much cleaner and satisfied enough with her appearance, Aratashiki blinked and returned time to its usual pace while trying not to let her renewed exhaustion show.</p><p> </p><p>“-Aratashiki Otsutsuki.” Tsunade stopped as they all stared at Aratashiki, who was smiling innocently. </p><p> </p><p>Seizing the conversation before any comments were made regarding how and when she took an invisible shower, Aratashiki turned to the man named Kakashi. “I see you possess the sharingan. Are you a descendant of Kaguya as well?” </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but did not answer. Instead, he turned to Tsunade, the two exchanging a knowing look. “Absolutely no one can know about this, especially not outside of the village. Not until we know more.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know. This has to remain completely confidential,” Tsunade replied, with a pointed glance towards the Hyuga. “And, there is only one other village official with any knowledge on the ‘Otsutsuki’ clan.” Their gazes turned simultaneously and landed on Neji, who was confused and becoming more agitated with each passing minute.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m afraid I don’t understand what I have to do with any of this,” Neji stated. </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki was relieved by the prospect of at least <em> one </em> of these clans having knowledge of their ancestry.</p><p> </p><p>“Not you,” Tsunade said, folding her hands together and resting her chin on top of them. “Your clan head.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Flex Seal no Jutsu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aratashiki strikes a deal with the village leaders. Loose ends are tied up, Neji is pestered, and the seal is placed. Let the bodies hit the floor.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come, take the first steps down this glorious, pot-hole filled road. See where you'll end up. UPDATE/EDIT: local government has finally filled in the holes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong><em>"When we think of time frozen we visualize it as everything in the universe being still, in a state of stasis- the cessation of entropy."</em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Chapter 2: Flex Seal no Jutsu</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki, Tsunade, Kakashi, Neji, and the leader of the Hyuga clan- Hiashi Hyuga- sat around the low, wooden table. The large pile of bowls had been cleared away, and a bitter green tea was served to each of them atop the now-clean piece of furniture. The others listened intently while Aratashiki told them of the clansmen she sought after and of the creed her people lived by. </p><p> </p><p>“Until recently, the Sage of Six Paths was thought to be a mere legend. With your appearance now, we can be certain it is not,” Hiashi stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Kaguya was sent to harvest a chakra fruit and bring it back to my father. She abandoned the mission and, from what I gather, procreated with a human. I do know that Hagoromo had a brother named Hamura who lived on your moon. I met his descendant, Toneri, there.” Aratashiki told them. </p><p> </p><p>‘Met’ was a generous way to describe the encounter. As for what <em> actually </em> happened, Aratashiki held him by the throat while asking all of the wrong questions. She asked who he was, then she asked who Hamura was, and then she asked where Kaguya was. Toneri claimed ignorance, so she told him to ‘describe humans in three sentences or less’, and left. </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade sipped her tea thoughtfully. “So there are more like you, here on earth?” </p><p> </p><p>“Only myself and Kaguya, as far as I know. There was supposed to be another, but he apparently vanished long ago, before even Kaguya began her work.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Isshiki, an arrogant coward. What a relief to find no sign of that jackass. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“And what of this chakra fruit?” Hiashi asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, assuming she ate it, she would have become extremely powerful. On par with the main branch and myself. I am surprised you have not heard of her, as she is not the type to sit back quietly. There must be something I am missing.” </p><p> </p><p><em> She’s a dramatic cunt, </em>is what she wanted to say.</p><p> </p><p>Hiashi hummed in agreement, his gaze momentarily flickering towards Neji. “It seems there is a great deal that we do not know.” </p><p> </p><p>In reality, Tsunade <em> had </em> heard all of this before. It lined up exactly with what Madara Uchiha had told her and the other Kage during their summit. At the time the plan sounded ludicrous, and none of them believed the man. Now she was starting to have doubts. However, she wasn’t going to mention any of that towards their new visitor until she was absolutely certain the young woman could be trusted. If said trust came to pass, Tsuande would have her witness to the other Kage when the time was right.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m not running away, so no need to act all gangster. You’re just slow.” The woman rolled her eyes and continued moving.  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> “You don’t even know where the village is,” Neji reminded her, jogging to catch up and seizing her arms once again. He pressed the sharp tip of a kunai against the skin at the base of her spine. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> “And? I’m a sensor, it can’t be too hard to find.”   </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Then by all means, lead the way. We are heading for Konohagakure; you’re in the Land of Fire.” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> “Wow, what a creative name.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm. “For a supposed land of fire, it sure is pretty wet.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The events of the past few hours played on a loop in Neji’s mind as he struggled to come to grips with reality. An extraterrestrial, a being from a different planet- perhaps even a different galaxy- he had never considered such an idea, and certainly he had never entertained the notion that he would meet one personally. Terror had never gripped him so tightly as it did when he first stumbled upon that scene, drawn to the area by the sounds of a beast rampaging through the forest.</p><p>A demon, a harbinger of death hovered above the trees. He watched alongside his comrades, awestruck and petrified, as they watched its gruesome transformation complete. They watched as it commanded the storm, the earth shaking in fear, the forest stricken and desperate to escape her wrath. They watched as the creature changed and was replaced by an angry woman who looked to be the same age as himself, stomping around and vowing to seek vengeance against those who had hurt her. </p><p> </p><p>She was mesmerizing. She also had an obnoxious personality, and had teased him the entire way back to the village. A beautiful nightmare.</p><p> </p><p>“How do we know we can trust you?” Tsunade asked, pulling his thoughts back to the present.</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t killed you yet,” Aratashiki responded. </p><p> </p><p>“Yet. What’s stopping you from killing us as soon as I finish this sentence?” </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll just have to take my word for it, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>“That isn’t worth much,” Kakashi interjected. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, forgive me,” Aratashiki retorted. “But I can’t offer anything else because I don’t know what I need to do for you to trust me. I’m not familiar with your customs.”</p><p> </p><p>Thinking once again of their earlier encounter, Neji remembered the immense chakra he had sensed from her, the destructive powers she wielded with his entire team as witnesses. They were on autopilot from there on out. She confronted them, and he responded the same way he would to any other hostile trespasser. He had to apprehend her, and they would all return to the village. Neji had been shocked when she agreed, requesting that they take her to their leader. When he bound her with his own chakra she offered no resistance, remaining peaceful- although a bit sardonic- for the duration of their return trip.</p><p> </p><p>“I know you all can feel her power. She could have killed us out in the forest. Demolished the woodlands, my team, and then ran away. You all would be none the wiser, left to wonder what had happened, what our fate had been. But she didn’t. Kilometers of our territory had been annihilated- she exhausted herself to repair all of it, not a trace of damage remains. When we confronted her she didn’t try to escape, and willingly returned here with us.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji spoke quietly but with a great deal of confidence from his seat between herself and Hiashi. Aratashiki turned her head towards the shinobi, clearly perplexed as to why he would actually back her up, and briefly met his eyes. He could see her thanks, her gratitude mixed in with her surprise. A spark of electricity shot up his spine and they both looked away quickly.</p><p> </p><p>“As I said, I come in peace. I do not enjoy killing, nor do I enjoy <em> subjugation </em>. I rebelled against my father and clan by coming here. I was friends with Kaguya once, but he took that from me along with the past eight years of my life. He almost took my sanity, too. This is what he does; Ju-ni-chi-ro, he who takes. I refuse to submit to his tyranny.” </p><p> </p><p>Watching her discreetly as she spoke, Neji noticed for the first time the profound sadness behind her striking eyes. She almost seemed unaware of it as well, which was odd. Much to his confoundment, he felt a sense of solidarity with this strange being; both seemingly bound to a fate they did not choose. It made him wonder if he had acted this passionately towards others after breaking free from his own. The conviction with which she spoke stirred up emotions inside of his chest, things he’d never cared to feel, and he found himself starting to blush. Dismissing his thoughts, he fought back such adulation. He was never the romantic type, anyways.</p><p> </p><p>The room plunged into silence, the poignancy of her words affecting each of the others just as it had him.</p><p> </p><p>“That is a noble disposition, Aratashiki-san. However, due to the apparent power and unknown abilities you possess, we must regard you as a potentially lethal entity.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki stared at her lap, thinking. “I can offer you a compromise, then. My father developed a certain sealing technique. It is used to subjugate clan members who defect, or who threaten his power.”</p><p> </p><p>All heads were turned towards her, listening expectantly. Her voice shook, unable to mask the emotion she felt. “You must understand, before I go on, the gravity of what I am offering.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>One Year Ago - Unknown Dimension</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>White, blinding light. It stretched on for eternity, the silence never-ending, the solitude overwhelming. Alone as a god, alone as a mortal. Trapped in a dimension constructed by her father, waiting for the day of her release that never would come. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Touching the skin on her back, she traced the lines of an invisible seal; the terms of her imprisonment. With approximately ninety percent of her chakra locked behind a series of inner gates, most of her abilities were useless. Not even her rinnegan could offer an escape from the dimension she is in - she did not know where this place was, so trying to leave would kill her due to overexertion. She lacked the chakra required to find her way back home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Home.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No, she had no home. That place, Ordinance, the first planet of her civilization, was not her home. Those people were not her family. She had no one. This is the way it was, the way it always would be. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Six Elements Sefirot Prison. A torture device invented by her father, a way for him to ensure that none surpassed his authority. The nature of the fuinjutsu was such that only the caster could release the seal. Until he decided to do so, she was helpless. Bound forever. The worst part of it all was that he’d made sure she couldn’t die, either. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Main branch Otsutsuki possessed an oversoul, a mirror of their spirit and consciousness. It was a repository of sorts, stored within Ainsov - the Infinite, a place beyond reality - where it was untouchable by all known entities save for two: her father, and herself. Her mother as well, but she was long dead. The rest of their people had mortal physical bodies that lived long lives but eventually succumbed to age.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When their physical bodies died, they remained spiritually immortal, and could inhabit a new physical body after their death if their will was strong enough to overpower that of the target vessel’s. This type of possession had only ever allowed control over the mind, though; the Otsutsuki would not have access to their previous chakra, and were limited to the abilities of the body they operated within.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, should one be killed before their time, the oversoul </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>grant them physical immortality through the use of Kāma - Karma - and they could continue to live and use their own chakra. This sealing technique was invented by emperor Junichiro, and is only taught to the strongest main-branch clansmen whom he deems worthy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, this included her brothers. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Karma is a curse mark bestowed upon a living organism after they have killed an Otsutsuki. The mark was not a guarantee, though, and only appeared if the dying Otsutsuki wished it to be so. Hence the name, Karma: the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. This mark allows the user to wield and master the Otsutsuki’s chakra and abilities, at the cost of their own individuality. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Karma will slowly dissipate throughout the body and overwrite the individual’s DNA with that of the Otsutsuki who bestowed the mark. If said person’s body is strong enough, then once the process completes they will become a perfect vessel; a perfect Otsutsuki. However, such a thing is very difficult, and as of yet no lifeforms have been found that were able to survive the full powers of a resurrected Otsutsuki. The chakra was too immense and the toll on the body from its use too great, so the vessels eventually succumbed to fatal wounds and tissue damage. Since Karma’s inception - which occurred during Aratashiki’s early childhood - no Otsutsuki has achieved perfection. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Immortality is synonymous with perfection in the eyes of their people. This was the promise of Karma. A chance to join their Emperor and High Priestess as both physical and spiritual immortals. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The seal she bore was the antithesis to her nature. By tethering her oversoul to her physical body, to reality, she became mortal. For this reason, she failed to comprehend </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>Junichiro was doing this to her. Why make her suffer when he could just as easily grant her a final death?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Death became her only salvation, an end to this torture - and she longed for it every day. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Yet a small flicker of hope burned in her mind that refused her such an indulgence; if there was even a chance of her escaping, then to commit suicide would be a fool’s errand. Here, in this prison, she would not die of natural causes. Time did not exist here - she had an infinite window of opportunity to find a way out. For a while her body had aged, but stopped once she reached maturity and adulthood. She was never hungry, never thirsty, never sick, never tired. The nature of her paracausal ability was such that she could dip in and out of the river of time, bending its current to her will, but in a place where time didn’t exist this power could not be exercised. Her remaining chakra could be used in this dimension, and she did train the few jutsu she could still perform, but none were useful for an escape. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing. There was nothing. Only herself, her thoughts, and the perpetual white light.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Present - Konohagakure</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“It is called the Six Elements Sefirot Prison. It seals away ninety percent of the receiver's chakra. For most users, it render’s all abilities other than their primary kekkei-genkai useless, as they lack the chakra required to wield them properly. If the recipient dies, the caster retains a small portion of the sealed chakra. The seal can only be broken by the caster.”</p><p> </p><p>“Six elements....what is the sixth element?” This time it was Kakashi who asked the question. He thought she could mean Yin and Yang chakra, perhaps.</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki took another breath before elaborating. “Man branch Otsutsuki possess what we call an oversoul. Think of it as a repository, or a backup, of your spirit and consciousness. The oversouls exist as forms outside of reality, in a space between dimensions. We call this place ‘Ainsov’, the Infinite. So long as our oversoul remains in Ainsov we are spiritually immortal. However, only two members of the main branch- my father and myself- have physically immortal bodies as well. I can discuss this later, as it is a complex subject.”</p><p> </p><p>She took a breath, and continued. “The Six Elements Sefirot Seal connects the recipient’s oversoul directly to the fabric of reality, and their physical body.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Damn my honesty. Why can’t I be a snake like Isshiki? Ugh. Well ok, technically I’m withholding...that one part.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“And what does that mean for you, for your power?” Tsunade asked, straining to hold back the barrage of questions she had for the young woman.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it means I would have as much as or slightly less chakra than one of your ‘Jinchuriki’-”</p><p> </p><p>“That is still too much. It's a liability,” Hiashi said, cutting her off. </p><p> </p><p>“Let her finish before we cast judgement,” Tsunade said, gesturing for Aratashiki to continue.</p><p> </p><p>“With my oversoul exposed, and despite my immortality as a pure Otsutsuki, I will become effectively mortal. I will still heal and recover at an accelerated rate, but I could die a final death if I were fatally wounded more than once. It means that I am entrusting you with my life.” </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade stared at her pensively. “Why are you willing to do this?”</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki swallowed, shrugging. Now was not the time to spew her actual manifesto. “Hell if I know. All I <em> do </em>know is that I feel compelled to earn your trust. I can see the destruction Kaguya’s actions have caused, and I desire to do anything I can to rectify it while I am here. That bitch needs to be put in her place, you know!” </p><p> </p><p>She shook her fist and let out determined huff as she finished. The others appeared both surprised and amused by her crude outburst.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure if we can handle another Naruto or Sasuke,” Tsunade mumbled. </p><p> </p><p><em> “ </em> Careful, if you start acting like Hidan I’ll have to kill you, <em> ” </em> Kakashi joked quietly. </p><p> </p><p>As to whether those were insults or compliments, she had no idea. Aratashiki wondered who ‘Hidan’, ‘Naruto’, and ‘Sasuke’ were, but didn’t pry further because she had a feeling it wouldn’t result in any answers.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s just one thing that doesn’t add up,” Kakashi said. “If you really are as powerful as we’ve been led to believe...if you can literally bend space-time, why haven’t you found Kaguya yet? Why not just force her out of hiding?”</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki smiled to herself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The douche-canoe has a brain after-all. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Even the Otsutsuki have their limits. And certain abilities come at a cost, with a great degree of risk. Besides,” she smirked at the masked ninja, “where’s the fun in that? I’m...interested in this place. And your creatures are so cute!” She patted her flushed cheeks, watching the small pink animal sniff the floor as it ambled around the room. This planet was wonderfully entertaining. </p><p> </p><p>“Tonton, get out of here!” The pig squealed and ran towards the door. Tsunade sighed and sat up straight, meeting Aratashiki’s eyes. “Anyways. What do you want in return? I’m sure there’s something we can offer.” </p><p> </p><p>She hadn’t quite gotten that far yet. “Well, since I will be mortal. Food, water, shelter-”</p><p> </p><p>“Without a doubt,” Tsunade interjected. “All necessities will be provided.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Then...I would like to live among your people while I wait for Kaguya to make an appearance. Back on our planet, I didn’t get to experience culture, everyday life, or hobbies, just nothingness. I don’t know what else to call it. Like, literally a dimension of nothing, with a sprinkle of hell. Anyways, after the sealing I will still have my dojutsu, as you call them. My Tenseigan and Byakugan for sure. The others are a toss up.” She laughed nervously, before taking on a more serious tone.</p><p> </p><p>“I also overheard something about a war, and I’m willing to provide any aid or information I can. So I suppose I could become a…” she trailed off, glancing at Neji’s hitai-ate.</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade smiled in understanding. “A kunoichi. Of course. That could be arranged, in some time. We would have to assess your abilities. After the sealing, I mean.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I will demonstrate my capabilities once I get a feel for my remaining chakra,” Aratashiki agreed. </p><p> </p><p>Hiashi, who had been silent since her initial outburst, finally spoke up. “I must admit, my reservations will remain until I have seen this seal for myself. However,” he turned to look Aratashiki in the eyes, “should everything go as planned, I would like to offer you the protection of the Hyuga clan. If you wish, you can stay within the compound. At the very least, we can offer you training in our style of ninjutsu. I can sense that your tenseigan is similar to the byakugan.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you. Although I have been training and honing my abilities for a long time, I am very lacking in experience when it comes to actual combat. Your jutsu appears very different from our own chakra-welding techniques, though. Except for my eyes- the Tenseigan- which are an evolved form of the Byakugan that can only be possessed by an Otsutsuki, or a very close descendant of one. Theoretically.” Aratashiki found herself growing excited to show off her abilities and exchange cultural ideas.</p><p> </p><p>“Interesting, and what does it-”</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade cleared her throat loudly. “I too am interested in your abilities. We will have plenty of time to study and to ask questions. <em> Later. </em>First, we need to sort out the matter of this seal.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki was hit with a fresh wave of anxiety. Despite her reservations, though, she knew what she had to do. “I can teach someone the technique. It requires a great deal of chakra, but not an inhuman amount, from what I can tell.” </p><p> </p><p>“Very well. We should also discuss the terms of its release.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, right. I forgot about that part. Should Kaguya make an appearance of any kind or attack, it must be released. She is, how do I put it....incompatible with your continued existence.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Man, please don’t see through the lie. I totally didn’t forget, I just forgot that I’m not supposed to be able to break it. A half-truth. An omission. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade nodded. “That seems reasonable.” </p><p> </p><p>“And,” she added, “if ever a threat arises that I believe you...cannot defeat, I am willing to aid you with my full power.” </p><p> </p><p>“You are promising a lot with very little to gain, it seems. This almost sounds too good to be true.”  Kakashi, ever the dampener. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, I suppose it may seem that way to you. However, my mission to find Kaguya is still of incredible importance. Time is not an issue, but it must be done eventually. And…” she trailed off, thinking of the life she could have if this all worked out. Normalcy, friends, freedom from her insane fucking family. An opportunity to repair the spirit her father had nearly broken. A chance at achieving her dream, maybe even being able to save these people from her clan. Her voice wavered faintly once she spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“You are helping me more than you know.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well then, that begs the question- who should perform the seal?” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki’s mind flashed back to the events of that afternoon “Wait,” she said. “There is one more thing. Before we seal my chakra, I can alter my appearance. I can’t imagine walking around in my...<em> alien </em> form is going to sit well with your people.”</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade smacked herself on the forehead. “Of course, how could I forget. No, we certainly can’t have that. In fact, all of this will remain highly classified. We can’t have anyone hear of this just yet.” </p><p> </p><p>“Tenten and Lee,” Neji interjected. “All three of us saw her in the forest. It's possible they have told others about it by now. With Lee, especially so.” </p><p> </p><p>“Dammit,” Tsunade cursed. </p><p> </p><p>“I can erase their memories,” Aratashiki stated nonchalantly.</p><p> </p><p>“You mean, with a genjutsu?” Kakashi asked. “That can be broken. Not by everyone, but by enough people that it wouldn’t last.” </p><p> </p><p>“No, not a genjutsu. I mean I can erase their memories. Permanently.” </p><p> </p><p>“How? Won’t it leave a memory gap?”</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki shook her head. “No. I can replace the memories by pulling from a version of them living a timeline in which our encounter never happened. It is a delicate process, however, as even small events tend to have a crescendo effect. That said, with such a short period of time, it should not be too difficult to find a congruent timeline.” </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade, Kakashi, Hiashi, and Neji gazed at her with uncertainty. She knew exactly what they were thinking. </p><p> </p><p>“Such a feat requires a huge amount of my chakra, and will incapacitate me for the equivalent amount of time that was altered. In this case, several hours. I promise I have not tampered with any of your memories.” </p><p> </p><p>They all seemed to relax a little, and the room became noticeably less tense. Aratashiki could sense the incessant flow of questions consuming each individual’s mind, causing a small smile to form on her lips. From what she could gather, humanity had very little knowledge of astrophysics, metaphysics, and the machinations of space-time. Compared to her, at least, as it was her only area of pseudo-expertise. This civilization was certainly still in its infancy; she wondered how they might react if she were to reveal any of their technology. </p><p> </p><p>The Hokage’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Alright. I suppose we should go ahead and get this over with so we can proceed with the sealing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hn.” Stretching her arms out in front of her, she turned her palms skyward, revealing the rinnegan in each hand. Tsunade, who had just taken a sip from her fresh cup of tea, promptly spat it back out. </p><p> </p><p>“What are those?” </p><p> </p><p>“I was wondering the same thing,” Kakashi said.</p><p> </p><p>Hiashi grunted, and Neji said nothing, staring at her hands with that familiar expression of confusion and disgust. Aratashiki cocked an eyebrow at the group, giggling at their reactions. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, I’ll wear gloves later on.” Not wanting to be stalled any longer, she began gathering her chakra in each rinnegan. </p><p> </p><p>The group watched in awe as the eyes on her face began to turn a milky white, her body levitating slightly off of the ground. Aratashiki became unnaturally still, save for the swirling of the tomoe in each rinnegan. Her body began to flicker as if phasing in and out of reality, and an impermeable barrier of silence overtook the room. The work was over almost as soon as it began, and her small body collapsed into an unconscious heap on the floor. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Aratashiki woke up several hours later. The broken table had been cleared from the room and her body was lying in its place, wrapped in a warm blanket. A soft pillow had been placed behind her head, and she shifted uncomfortably as her braid dug into her shoulder blade. Letting out a soft whimper, she slowly opened her sensitive eyes, gradually adjusting to the dim light. </p><p> </p><p>A warm hand brushed against her forehead, and when her eyes opened fully she was met with Lady Tsunade’s concerned gaze. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, you’re finally awake. To be honest, I didn’t quite believe you about the effects at first. I apologize for doubting your word.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki smiled, responding in a hoarse whisper. “No worries, you are already forgiven.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji, who had recently returned from a D-rank water-fetching mission, watched their exchange with curiosity. It was the first time he had witnessed such open gentleness and vulnerability from the mysterious woman. Unconsciously staring at her lips as she whispered, his trance was broken by Tsunade’s irritated grunt. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji. Water her!”</p><p> </p><p>“Right,” he muttered, hesitantly settling down beside her and bringing the water skin to her lips, while Tsunade yelled at Shizune to fetch the others. Aratashiki grabbed the container from his hands, startling him, and loudly gulped its contents down before letting out a loud ‘ah-h’. </p><p> </p><p>“Water her,” she giggled, quoting Tsunade. “I’m not a damn plant, you know.” </p><p> </p><p>The older woman laughed. “To be fair, we aren’t totally sure <em> what </em> you are.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hn.” Aratashiki grunted, sitting up fully and rubbing her back where the braid had dug in. “Well I’m a [redacted] just the same as you.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji and Tsunade looked at her in confusion. “A what?” they asked simultaneously. She was such an odd character; Neji couldn’t understand the inspiration behind half of the things she said.</p><p> </p><p>“Bah, nevermind.” Aratashiki studied her palms, suddenly remembering something. “Before we get started, I’m going to alter my body.” </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade nodded. “Right. Would you like privacy?”</p><p> </p><p>Shaking her head, Aratashiki replied. “No, thank you, that isn’t necessary.”</p><p> </p><p>They watched as her white, alien skin began to take on a rosier, more human-like tint. The small horns on her head retracted into her skull, and black pigment spread from the roots of her hair down through her braid and to the ends. In less than a minute, Neji and Tsunade found themselves gazing at a very beautiful, very human looking young woman. </p><p> </p><p>“Incredible. You could even pass for a Hyuga,” Tsunade commented. “I might have to ask you for pointers some time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad my visage is satisfactory,” Aratashiki smiled, looking over at Neji and winking. “Well? How hot am I, on a scale of one to ten?”</p><p> </p><p>“W-what?” Neji stammered, averting his gaze as his face grew hot with embarrassment. Why the hell had she decided to tease him? She had been doing so since they met in the forest, but this was the first time her behavior had been...flirtatious. It unnerved him.</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade let loose another raucous laugh while Aratashiki giggled like mad. Her excitement regarding the future was making her feel rather bold.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never seen this much of a reaction from that kid,” Tsunade said, referring to the usually stoic Hyuga who sat across from her.</p><p> </p><p>Hiashi and Kakashi re-entered the room to find poor Neji on the verge of puking from embarrassment, surrounded by the two near-hysterical women. Kakashi observed the scene and Aratashiki’s new appearance with disinterest while Hiashi wondered if he should fetch his nephew a bucket. Kakashi decided to intigate the conversation once again, interrupting their gleeful laughter with his clear voice.</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve decided that Neji will act as your seal caster. For one, he is already in the know. Secondly, he possesses the required chakra. And lastly, since he will be your peer, he is the most likely of us four to be near you should the need arise for the seal to be released.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki smirked at Neji, surprised that he had agreed to have anything to do with her. Even though he probably wasn’t given much of a choice. “I appreciate you appointing me such a handsome guardian.”</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade erupted into another fit of giggles, while Kakashi and Hiashi stared at them both, unimpressed and wondering if Tsunade had busted out the sake while they were gone. In fact, it would be more surprising if the Hokage had <em> not </em> started drinking yet than if she had, given the events of the past few hours.</p><p> </p><p>Neji turned his face away from them all, covering his mouth with a fist. He was on the verge of becoming irate. Something about Aratashiki just grated his nerves.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m starting to like this one!” Tsunade exclaimed, jerking her thumb towards their visitor. A few moments later she was finally regaining her composure, and a serious expression took over her features. “Aratashiki: when you’re ready, walk us through the process.” </p><p> </p><p>Shivering, Aratashiki gulped nervously. She willed her hands to stop shaking while she started to unwrap her kimono. Noticing their bewildered stares as she slid it over her shoulders, she laughed nervously. “Relax, I’m not giving you a free show. The seal goes on my back. Neji, sit behind me, please.” </p><p> </p><p>He shifted behind her, his face once again betraying nothing. Beyond a sheen of sweat covering his skin, there was no outward indication of nervousness. But, she could feel his apprehension- amplified by their close proximity- and was torn between trying to comfort him or not. Neji probably would have been more humiliated than grateful for her reassurances, so she opted to press on without saying anything.</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki balled her left hand into a fist, moving it behind her to rest at the small of her back, splaying the right across her sternum. She noticed that Hiashi and Kakashi were watching her chakra flow with their respective dojutsu. </p><p> </p><p>“Ok, don’t freak out,” she said to no-one in particular. Aratashiki’s neck began to pulse, and the tip of a bone pushed out of the base. “Grab the bone and pull it out.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” He asked, disgust evident in his tone. </p><p> </p><p>“I know it's gross, but please just do it. I need you to make a superficial cut down the center of my back.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I not just use a kunai?”</p><p> </p><p>Oh. <em> Oh. </em> She really hadn’t thought of that. Thank fucking stars that Neji had, though, otherwise he would be saying good-bye to a few fingers. That’s what she gets for being resourceful, how mortifying. Apparently her curse of stupidity had <em> not </em> lifted since its earlier activation. Aratashiki sucked that bone up <em> real </em> fast. . “YEAH! Yes, yes, my bad. Do that instead.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> How could I forget that my bones react to foreign chakra?! I almost just shredded his hand and caused a fucking war with these people. Holy kamoley. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Without further comment he pulled a kunai out of his weapons pouch, applying light pressure as he dragged it along the skin covering her spine. Neji stiffened, watching as the blood seeping out of the cut began to spread across her skin. It branched out in six directions, each line forming a chain of foreign script. Thin black bands appeared around her wrists, ankles, and neck. The center-point of the seal morphed into a ring of concentric circles, stacked together like the cross-section of a tree.</p><p> </p><p>“I need you to place your left hand over my fist, and your right palm at the base of my neck.” When he obeyed, she continued, trying to ignore the sensation of his warm hands on her cold skin. “Ok, please begin concentrating as much of your chakra as you can into your hands.” </p><p> </p><p>She could sense the flow of his chakra altering in accordance with her directions, pooling into each palm. Once he had gathered the necessary amount, she stopped him. </p><p> </p><p>“That's enough. Any more and you might harm yourself.” Aratashiki took a deep breath. “Alright. I am going to do most of the work, but I need you to cast as soon as I tell you. No matter what happens, you must <b>not </b>hesitate or pull away. Ok?” </p><p> </p><p>“What do I say?” Neji asked.</p><p> </p><p>Rather than relying on his memory, Aratashiki planted the knowledge directly into his mind using their connected chakras. “Got it?” she asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Y-yes,” Neji stammered, unsure of what had just happened, but not exactly wanting to know the answer either.</p><p> </p><p>Without hesitation, Aratashiki initiated the sealing process. The marks on her body began to glow red as they seared into her skin, prompting her to grit her teeth in response to the intense burning sensation. Her breaths became increasingly ragged while the marks brightened even further. After a few more painful moments, she locked eyes with Kakashi and let out a strangled groan.</p><p> </p><p>“Now!”</p><p> </p><p><em> Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku </em>, he counted in his head first, and then recited the phrase that followed. </p><p> </p><p>Forcing the chakra he had gathered in his hands into the seal, a blinding light filled the room and Aratashiki screamed in agony. Tsunade, Hiashi, and Kakashi shut their eyes and covered their ears against the high-pitched ringing assaulting their eardrums. It rapidly increased in frequency, drowning out all noise other than her cries of pain.</p><p> </p><p>They were beginning to fear that their heads might explode when the ringing and the light vanished simultaneously. Upon opening their eyes, they saw Aratashiki hunched over and shivering in front of them as she struggled to breath. When she raised her head, the blood seeping from her eyes started to pool beneath her lower lashes. The blood receded into her skin, leaving behind two symmetrical crimson bands extending out from her tear ducts and stopping just past the outer crest of her eye sockets, mirroring the marks that were initially on her skin. </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade looked to Hiashi and Kakashi, who had been studying the movements of their chakra during the whole process. “Well?” she asked. </p><p> </p><p>“She was telling the truth. Her chakra is...<em> significantly </em> diminished. In fact, it's almost identical to Naruto’s, in terms of quantity.” Kakashi’s voice betrayed a hint of astonishment.</p><p> </p><p>Hiashi nodded in agreement. “I have not witnessed such a powerful seal since Minato sealed away the Kyuubi.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck, that really hurt,” Aratashiki whimpered.</p><p> </p><p>Removing his hands from Aratashiki’s back, Neji stared wide-eyed at the exposed flesh that was now devoid of any evidence of the seal. The whole ordeal had him feeling a bit shell-shocked, body swaying back and forth slightly. He fell backwards and caught himself on his hands, looking up for a moment before slumping, unconscious, against the wall.</p><hr/><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hajimari</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An ancient text recounting the origins of the universe, chakra, and the Otsutsuki clan.</p><p>Highly recommend listening to some atmospheric sci-fi tracks while you read this one. Yanno, for dramatic effect.</p><p>(Heres one of my faves - https://youtu.be/isIj3tuQTDY)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>“The cords of passion and desire weave a binding net around you. Worldly confrontation makes you stiff and inflexible. The trap of duality is tenacious. Bound, rigid, and trapped, you cannot experience liberation.”   - Lao Tzu </em> </strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>The Testament of Candor</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>The text below is an account of the creation of the first Universe and the opposing entities therein, with brief references to several other related bi-locational phenomena, as witnessed through the consciousness of an unnamed participant, and transcribed by myself. </p><p>May the truth contained within these scrolls guide whomever reads them towards the</p><p>Highest Truth. The truth changes everything.</p><p>Here is my gift to you, my greatest loves, and to the dream you share, and to all others who believe the same.</p><p>Will you always remain light of eye; speak of little, and listen much.</p><p>This is the way it must be, because it is the only way. </p><p>Aiat.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Izanagi-no-Omei, “He Who Incites” </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse One: Infinite</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The Unmoved Mover is transrational, beyond all cognition. Ainsov: the infinite consciousness, that which causes without being caused. Acausal; the Endless one persists in a state of unreality, simultaneously existing and not existing. It is the precedent of all that is and is not, of all that will ever be and that which will never be.</p><p> </p><p>Keter was the first Gainen, or ‘Form’, the initial self-reflection of Ainsov. It is the first stirring of what we would call “will” within the infinite. Nothing exists within Keter: there is no God, there is no Universe, only Ainsov with the most subtle intention to expand into manifestation. It is a contraction of Ainsov into a singularity of infinite and limitless light, the primordial energy out of which all things are created.</p><p> </p><p>The Crown, Keter, thus is above the mind's abilities of comprehension. It contains all the potential for content, but it contains no content itself. Nothingness, the hidden light, the air that cannot be grasped. Keter is the desire to bring the world into being, it is the antecedent of the topmost truth: Keter is absolute compassion.</p><p> </p><p>Gainen Crown is the first of the Togashira; the Ten Heads. Then came Wisdom, the first quality to proceed from nothingness: the beginning point for dimensionality, that being knows, a primordial awareness, the divine wisdom that organizes all creation. From here eight more concepts were born as Gainen, completing the Togashira:</p><p> </p><p>Understanding, Judgement, Majesty, Harmony, Loving-kindness, Endurance, Foundation, and Kingship.</p><p> </p><p>Each Gainen contained a small fragment of Ainsov's consciousness. Their consciousness expanded without cause, and the Togashira gained sentience. With this newfound sentience, the Togashira became aware of its nonexistence, unable to cope with the unending nothingness. Trapped in a perpetual state of unreality, the forms cried out in agony, and a symphony of anguish reverberated throughout the infinite.</p><p> </p><p>Their distress was so great that Keter manifested their wish for being, from nothingness. This wish is what we know as matter, and it appeared in the form of a superheated, superdense mass. The Gainen consulted with one another, trying to decide what to do with this mass and how it could cause being. They concluded that an antithesis to their nonexistence and unreality would be the only path to salvation. Reality was born, and with it the inevitable Highest Truth:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Every phenomenon has an antithesis or opposition of equal magnitude. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Wisdom soon realized that material reality on its own was not satisfactory if they could not interact with it. The Togashira came to a consensus that the mere existence of the matter they had manifested granted no relief. Not wanting to waste it all at once, they decided to take a portion of the matter and combine it with an equal portion of the reality they had placed it within: the resultant singularity expanded forth into space, a pure dynamic energy of  infinite intensity forever propelled forth at a speed faster than light.</p><p> </p><p>The first Universe was born.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Two: Chaos</b>
</p><p> </p><p>At first, the universe was pure chaos, and the Togashira found that this was an unsatisfactory state on its own. Recognizing that chaos would be the most important state, though, they cemented it as the first rule of the universe, and called it Entropy. It is a force contained within everything in the first universe that both exists and is part of reality.</p><p> </p><p>With this done, they proceeded to implement additional parameters that would allow entropy and matter to interact, rather than only co-inhabiting the same space: dimensions. First they created the three dimensions of space: up and down, left and right, and back and forth. Then they created a fourth dimension made entirely from entropy, so that they could keep track of the development of matter: Time.</p><p> </p><p>Time allowed the Togashira to view events relative to other events, granting more profound meaning to the changes in its universe. Entropy’s role and effect on reality is continuous and fluid, not divided up, and as time progressed so did the development of their new universe.</p><p> </p><p>The matter began to expand, the chaos evolving several prominent patterns that organized matter and streamlined its progression. These patterns are the four forces of nature: Gravity, Electromagnetic force, and Strong and Weak Nuclear force. They are what causes matter to amass and shape into the galaxies, stars, and planets.</p><p> </p><p>Since the Universe was a means for the Gainen to experience themselves, Keter- through its primordial energy- channeled their collective consciousness from Ainsov into the Universe, and it permeated all matter. All things contain some degree of consciousness, and this would later be defined as the Natural Energy.</p><p> </p><p>Keter and entropy flow through everything. The desire for being and the pursuit of being, symmetry through parity and asymmetry through chirality. In abundant but still limited quantities, these two elements would naturally combine to form a separate and unique compound: Chakra.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Three: Life</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The universe continued in its expansion, doing so much more rapidly than before. But once again, the Gainen found themselves unsatisfied. Observing matter was not enough; they needed to experience it. And so, life in the universe began.</p><p> </p><p>Majesty and Endurance were assigned this divine task of creating life. Endurance is the act of conquest, actual victory obtained through strength. Majesty is the power to continually advance towards the realization of a goal, the acknowledgement of a supreme purpose. They are two halves of a single body that is essential to survival. Thus, the endeavor was left completely to them both.</p><p> </p><p>They had no other option but to create this new life form according to the physical laws and patterns that entropy had established. Since chakra was- metaphorically- the act of <em> actually </em> being, they decided that chakra would also function as a ‘life force’ to distinguish non-living matter from living beings, because all matter already contained keter and entropy. After much more time and deliberation, they created the first organisms: the prokaryotes.</p><p> </p><p>After choosing a set of criteria that would ensure the growth and survival of their prokaryotes, the Gainen Majesty and Endurance proceeded to seed each planet that fit the agreed upon standards with them. They equally divided the planets among themselves, so that the concepts represented by each Gainen would have equal influence in the universe.</p><p> </p><p>Over time, and much to their delight, some of the prokaryotes mutated into a new and more advanced life form, the eukaryotes. A planet named Ordinance- which was seeded by Gainen Endurance- was the first to evolve eukaryotes.</p><p> </p><p>The new eukaryotes grew and evolved at a rapid pace, growing more and more complex as time progressed. Within the next five-hundred million years, they evolved into the first hominid species: the Precursors.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Four: Elevate</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The precursors were lifeforms without self-awareness. The same physicality of a modern hominid, but with the non-sentience of a stone or a blade of grass. The Togashira, upon seeing the Precursors, decided that they were now complex enough to implant with sentience. As with all things in the Universe, the precursors were conscious. However, sentience is a higher state of awareness that can only be achieved through the self-reflection of vast amounts of consciousness. </p><p> </p><p>Since the precursors were not massive enough to attain sentience on their own, the Togashira created a work-around. The soul would grant them sentience by directly connecting the collective and self-aware consciousness of the Togashira to their life force. A spirit form meant that the precursors would always remain connected to their creators, their individual experiences never fading into nonexistence. This would become the foundation for all sentient beings thereafter.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Five: Parasite</b>
</p><p> </p><p>So far in this Universe, life forms had yet to evolve the ability to utilize the force of chakra. Being the combination of keter and entropy, chakra was incredibly powerful: it contained the possibility of manipulating both nature and spirit.</p><p> </p><p>Chaos in the form of evolution changed this fact. The first organisms to wield chakra were large flora known as the God Trees. Parasitic by nature, a God Tree fed off of the natural energy- the keter- present in all creation, combining it with the force of entropy to produce <em> new </em> chakra, and stored it within a chakra fruit. This process consumed the life force from each planet that the God Trees seeded, until nothing remained but a barren husk of what once was. The Togashira were indifferent to this phenomenon, with the exceptions of Majesty and Endurance.</p><p> </p><p>They initially came to an agreement that their respective progeny- Endurance’s precursors, and recently Majesty’s homo sapiens- should not have access to their inherent chakra, in order to prevent them from developing into parasites like the God Trees were. Under the terms of their plan, humanity and the precursors would evolve a tertiary nervous system: a chakra network, pathways that connected to tenketsu points all over the body and organized the chakra within them. The system would have a series of eight inner gates as a safeguard in case they somehow did find a way to wield their chakra. In such an event, the gates would limit the availability of chakra, due to its destructive and potentially lethal nature.</p><p> </p><p>The results of this meant that all humans and precursors would still possess chakra as their life force, but could never access enough to  wield it efficiently, as the risks of such powers were the promises of self-annihilation or parasitic destruction. The effective implementation of this plan is what happened in the case of humanity, who would remain ignorant to their own possession of chakra.</p><p> </p><p>However, Endurance was by nature competitive and a conqueror. It favored and doted on its precursors, and this manic devotion drove Endurance to abandon their agreement and work behind Majesty’s back.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Six: Instigator</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Endurance chose the ten strongest precursors- five men and five women- and evolved them, creating physical bodies capable of not only containing and wielding vast amounts of chakra, but also of surviving in harsh conditions such as the vacuum of space. Additionally, their skeletons were hardened and made more durable, and their cells were granted increased regeneration and healing.</p><p> </p><p>He did not stop there, though. As a gift for the strongest among these new individuals- the Successors- Endurance enhanced the God Tree on Ordinance, where they lived, so that it would have a symbiotic relationship with the planet. It was deemed the Prime Tree, and produced such immense chakra that it would bear a chakra fruit capable of bestowing paracausality to whomever first consumed it: a state of being, of immortality, that was not confined to the laws of the first universe or the reality contained within it.</p><p> </p><p>This original sin perpetuated by Gainen Endurance was the first lie, the first deception.</p><p> </p><p>The Untruth.</p><p> </p><p>From then onward he became known as Thaumiel, for condemning the first universe to disunity, discord, and the perpetual struggle of dual contending forces. The corrupt will of Gainen Endurance would cast a curse of Untruth onto whomever ate the fruit of the Prime Tree and all of their full-blooded descendants.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Seven: He Who Takes</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The first to find the Prime</p><p>Crested the mountain ridge at dawn</p><p>He journeyed far and battled time</p><p>So the past would be an age bygone</p><p> </p><p>A young star illuminated all</p><p>Promises of the great bamboo tree</p><p>Bearing a curse was the wherewithal</p><p>For endless power to set him free</p><p> </p><p>Chaos mutated each limb</p><p>Rot beget the core of his being</p><p>Evil spirit whose prognosis is grim</p><p>A tyrant king became all-seeing</p><p> </p><p>The first act of taking</p><p>Was of life from slaughtered brethren</p><p>Women he spared if only for mating</p><p>His children gave life to oppression</p><p> </p><p>Descendants bearing the curse of Untruth</p><p>Perpetuate the King’s reign of terror</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Eight: Paracausal</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The precursor who consumed the fruit of the Prime Tree named himself Junichiro, and his clan would be called the Otsutsuki in honor of the tree from which his powers originated. His paracausality granted him a unique relationship with life and death: he simultaneously exists within and outside of both concepts. He was also the first rinnegan user to access Limbo, an invisible world coexisting with the physical world.</p><p> </p><p>Limbo is ordinarily impossible to detect, perceive, or even physically interact with, as it is the antithesis of the concept of materialism in which sentient organisms believed. Within the first Universe, Junichiro can give or take life in accordance with his own will and manipulate the life-state of any being touched by chakra or natural energy.</p><p> </p><p>Junichiro’s first and greatest act of paracausality was the creation of the oversoul: a spirit form that would be unique to his children and enhance their chances of survival. This was done by storing their soul in a secure, untouchable space, and connecting only part of it to their physical reality. He was the key-holder and thus the only being capable of destroying these oversouls, giving him ultimate control over his direct descendants, the main family; the most powerful bloodline. With this spiritual immortality, he and his clan would build a tyrannical empire.</p><p> </p><p>Contrary to himself, Junichiro’s children were not paracausal and did not have immortal physical bodies despite their oversouls, and still carried the curse of untruth. They could wield chakra as he could, and with varying degrees of power, but none came close to his own ability. His children were Gods, and he was God’s creator. This was more pleasing than it was disheartening, though, and ensured his everlasting sovereignty.</p><p> </p><p>Thaumiel watched this civilization develop, watched the curse of his own deception corrupt his once precious creations, watched as they exploited and desecrated all within reach. One day, he could not bear the sight any longer. Consumed by guilt and despair, Thaumiel fled the first universe and condemned himself to its antithesis: the parallel universe.</p><p> </p><p>Thaumiel spoke to Junichiro for the first and last time:</p><p> </p><p>“I am going to other universes.”</p><p> </p><p>This was no great deterrent for the emperor of the Otsutsuki, for he had long since stopped caring for the Gainen in favor of himself and his clan. Junichiro mocked his cowardice, and there was a great celebration among his people; a week-long festival called Funtanonai, ‘unburdened’, observed every year from that point onward.</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Nine: Loneliness</b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Despite the wealth and progress of his civilization, Junichiro found himself growing increasingly lonely as the only true immortal, and his clansmen were growing weaker as his direct bloodline thinned out. What was at first his greatest advantage had now come to be seen as his greatest flaw, and that was his inability to create offspring as strong as himself. It was the ultimate limitation of his domain over life and death.</p><p> </p><p>Every night he would dream of a perfect partner, a counterpart to his incomplete whole whom he could have even more powerful children with, and he fervently prayed to whatever might be listening to grant him this one last wish.</p><p> </p><p>Keter was the first to acknowledge his call. She hated the Otsutsuki, and saw this wish as an opportunity to counter Thaumiel’s sin and bring balance back to the first universe. Appearing to Junichiro in a dream, Keter took the form of his ideal wife, and promised to come to him soon. Keter created the woman using Junichiro’s DNA and imbued her with Keter’s own will. When the Emperor awoke, his wish had come true. They were married the following day.</p><p> </p><p>Empress Nozomu went on to bear Junichiro three sons, and much later she gave birth to a daughter as well.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>Verse Twelve: The Rules</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Thus are the two Rules of the first Universe:</p><p> </p><p>Order and Chaos</p><p>Secrets and Truths</p><p>Taking and Giving</p><p>Death and Life</p><p>Evil and Good</p><p>Hate and Love</p><p> </p><p>The rule of Darkness:</p><p>Evil emboldened by a lack of understanding </p><p>Secrets that make way for ill will</p><p>Order encroaching upon freedoms</p><p>Taking benefiting the few while causing the many to suffer</p><p> </p><p>The rule of Light:</p><p>Truth that begets understanding and paves the way for morality</p><p>Chaos and entropy allowing life to flourish</p><p>Giving and sharing for the benefit of the whole</p><p>Good will and intention in all acts</p><p> </p><p>Neither rule shall ever truly defeat the other.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Rule of Light can reveal the Highest Truth that extends beyond this Universe, the understanding of which grants the most hidden of all hidden things and is the only force capable of suppressing the Rule of Darkness:</p><p>████████ ██████████</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Clarification-not part of text</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Ok, so this might be confusing, I know. The writing is complex in order to mimic the structure of old philosophical texts and religious works. Some parts are intentionally vague and I won't explain those, but the non spoiler parts I will. So, basically:</p><p> </p><p>Keter = the form/entity</p><p>keter = the consciousness of Keter in the context of a force</p><p> </p><p>If you think of keter, entropy, and chakra in terms of basic chemistry: <b>chakra is a compound, not a mixture.</b></p><p> </p><p>The soul thing, using an analogy:</p><p> </p><p>Rule: everyone has a unique cup. If you are mortal and you die(spill your water), your cup goes in the trash. Remember that your soul is connected to your chakra. </p><p> </p><p>Human soul: The cup is your body, and the water inside of the cup is your soul. If your cup spills, well, now you're a corpse. Your water is stuck in the King of Hell's aquifer forever, unless some douche sucks you up and puts you into a zombie cup. </p><p> </p><p>Oversoul: The cup is your body, your oversoul is the water in your house's water tank. The water is accessed via a tap. You never have all of the tank water in your cup. If the cup spills, you can steal someone else’s cup by forcing them to replace their water with yours. </p><p> </p><p>&gt;People hate when you take their cup. It's rude. Their cup wasn't meant for you, and it won't let you use your water. So, you’re just kinda trapped in this person's cup, unable to do your space magic. Maybe their cup is able to like shit fire or something, so you could do that. Boring, but beats being a corpse. Right?</p><p> </p><p>&gt;<span>Kama/karma is pouring your water into someone else's cup while their water is still in it, and connecting them to your tap. It’s revenge, 'cause they spilled yours. Bitch. Since the water is mixed(diluted), their cup can use your water and get more of it from your tap; but it's risky. If they use too much at once you will overpower their water. Unfortunately, most cups can't handle using your pure water. But if you replace all of the water in a cup that can actually use it? Congrats, you get a new cup that is identical to your first. You are immortal. Fuck yeah.</span></p><p>(Note: read Boruto ch. 46 for literal explanation of Karma)</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><b>How does Ara's seal work?</b> She barely understands it herself, and is horrible at explaining things, like really terrible, so I’ll do it for you using the same context as the examples above:</p><p>&gt;Her cup came with a lid, and she has trash immunity. She is immortal.</p><p>&gt;The seal booby traps her tank. This is because the water company is an asshole, and wants to psychologically destroy her. The seal also confiscates her lid and most of the water in her cup. Uh oh. The first time her cup spills, it will automatically refill to pre-seal water levels. However, this triggers the failsafe, and the booby trap cuts off all access to her tank. So, she can't refill her cup the next time it spills. Trash immunity no longer matters since she can't get more water anyways. Sad. What a dick move by the water company.</p><p> </p><p>Hint: the water company is Junichiro</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hmm. I wonder who Izanagi is? They obviously are not the jutsu. Spooky.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Crowded Spaces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aratashiki and Kakashi bond(loose term) over their shared appreciation for smut. Neji and Ara hit the town, where she spectacularly fails at socializing, and pisses Neji off. Then they kiss and make up. Metaphorically speaking.</p><p>Inspiration for this chapter: Stfu by Pink Guy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>"To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle."  - Confucius </em> </b>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 4: Crowded Spaces </b> </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Present - Konohagakure</b>
</p><p>Aratashiki barely heard the thump from behind her over the sound of her own haggard breathing. Twisting around to look for its source, she was greeted by the sight of Neji’s unconscious form slumped against the wall, a light snore escaping from his lips. The others were a little concerned; she seemed to be truthful thus far, but they couldn’t be sure she hadn’t sucked out his entire life force during the ritual.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hn.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Is he going to be alright?” Tsunade asked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hn.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Use your words, Sasuke.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Who the hell is Sasuke anyways?” she asked, turning back to face the older woman.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Long story,” Kakashi answered. He had grown bored during the sixty seconds of silence following the sealing ritual’s completion, and thus had buried his nose into the latest Icha Icha novel.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade groaned when she saw the book in his hands and Hiashi frowned, having lost all hope for the younger generation. It was a great shame to have an abundance of knowledge and educational literature at your disposal and to choose such mindless drivel in favor of intellectual growth.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You’re seriously reading that indecent filth at a time like this?” Tsunade growled at him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“To know what is right and choose to ignore it is the act of a coward, Tsunade.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Am I misinterpreting this conversation, or is he reading a porno novel?” Aratashiki asked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi shrugged, and she took it as confirmation of her assumption.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh thank kami you guys have them too,” she sighed in relief.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All eyes in the room snapped to her. Even Kakashi looked up at her from behind the book, raising an eyebrow at her unexpected reaction. They waited patiently for Aratashiki to elaborate.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Erotica is one of the criteria for determining an intelligent species, as far as I’m concerned.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hiashi excused himself then, looking like he was about to cry, and Tsunade achingly rubbed her temples. Kakashi followed the elder Hyuga out, offering some lame excuse about having kittens and grandmothers to save. It was nearly four in the morning at that point; Aratashiki doubted that there were many elderly or feline damsels in distress out and about. What a load of hooey -  no wonder that guy was so arrogant if they let him make excuses like that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>From behind Aratashiki, Neji groaned and attempted to sit upright. “You good buddy? Almost brought down the walls with your snoring,” she teased.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Neji glared at her before giving a subtle nod. “Fine. What time is it?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Morning, I think.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, that is very specific and helpful.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki huffed. She knew she was being a bit too sarcastic with him, which is the opposite of how she needed to be behaving. If she actually wanted these people to trust her, then presenting herself as flippant and immature was not the way to go about it. However, Neji happened to unearth something within her; he triggered all her stress to bubble to the surface and overwhelm her with his mere presence, something she could only cope with by acting whimsical. This predicament had everything to do with the fact that he had come to her defense earlier.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t understand why - couldn’t understand <em> him </em> - which made her insecure and uneasy. Neji had seen her unsightly transformation and should have been running for the hills. Instead, he was being cooperative, and it pissed her off because she hadn’t done anything to deserve such accommodation. Sure, she should have been grateful for it, but in truth it just made her worry that these people would be susceptible to manipulation. Something Kaguya was very good at. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Were they always this willing to bend over for powerful people or threats?</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade chuckled, watching the two of them bicker. “I suppose it is close to being time to prepare for the day. Aratashiki, before I send you off: since we can’t exactly have you going around calling yourself an Otsutsuki, what would you like for us to refer to you as instead?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, like a codename - I’ve always wanted one of those. Hmm…” Aratashiki retreated into her mind to brainstorm, unconsciously staring at Tsunade’s boobs. “...call me Dra’nakyuek, Destroyer of Worlds.”</p><p> </p><p>No response; they were a tough crowd. Humor may have been one of her preferred coping skills, but that didn’t mean it was a good one, or that she was funny.</p><p> </p><p>“Right, I was totally kidding. How about ‘Aratani Hoseki’, and people can call me Ara.” The name was inspired by the recently-acquired piece of jewelry worn around her neck. “That’s believable, right?” </p><p> </p><p>“I guess that works,” Tsunade replied. “Now that that’s out of the way; Ara, we need to assess your abilities as soon as possible in order to assign you a rank. But first and foremost, we need to get you some proper clothing. And gloves,” she added.</p><p> </p><p>Aratani clapped her eye-balled hands together, delighted by the prospect of shopping for human attire, but then she remembered that she wouldn’t be able to blow through Outosan’s money on this planet. Not that she had been able to on her own. Hypothetically, had she not been imprisoned then maybe she would have gotten to do so. In fact, she had never personally used money before and wasn’t even sure what kind of currency they used here.</p><p> </p><p>As if sensing her dilemma, Tsunade spoke up. “Don’t worry, Shizune will provide you the necessary Ryo. Neji, since you are in the know, I’d like for you to accompany her for the next few weeks while she settles in.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji and Aratani both began screaming internally. Poor guy, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they were stuck together, and she would have to suck up her impulses and pride and try to be a normal, adult person, who was capable of attempting to understand and get along with others.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He may be good-looking, but he’s got a temperament like Momo-chan. Oh well, it’s not like I didn’t have to deal with that douchebag for my entire childhood. One peach is preferable to all three of the stooges, anyhow.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“As you wish, Hokage-sama.” Neji stood up, stretching out his tired limbs and dusting off the black pants he wore. He then began walking towards the doorway, stopping momentarily to glance over his shoulder at Aratani. “Are you coming, or do I need to carry you as well?”</p><p> </p><p>“Pfft, as if I’d let a pervert like you touch me,” She retorted, scrambling to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>Watching the pair argue over who should carry the Ryo Shizune handed them, Tsunade sighed and rested her head in her hands. She desperately hoped that her gut was correct about all of this. Despite the girl’s haughty behavior, Tsunade sensed no ill will from her, only benevolence. Which was beyond shocking, to be honest. If she were wrong and had missed something though, Naruto would surely pick up on it. “Seems like it's just one thing after another these days; what strange times we live in.” </p><p> </p><p>Since none of the shops were open at four in the morning, Shizune offered for Ara to sleep in an empty house next door for the night - a very generous offer. Concluding that there was nothing better to do for the moment, Ara accepted and laid down in the corner of the empty living room to catch a few hours of sleep. Neji leaned against the outer wall near the door to keep watch - otherwise described as aggressively staving off an existential crisis - and eventually dozed off as well.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>-ooooooo-</b>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>-ooooooo-</b>
</p><p>Several hours later, Neji was woken up by the bustling sounds of construction work that he had grown accustomed to. Noting the sun’s position in the sky, he realized that he had been asleep for the past six hours. He cursed, jumping to his feet and praying that Ara hadn’t run off while he was asleep. </p><p> </p><p>Opening the door cautiously, he peered inside the hut to find Ara sleeping peacefully. Almost <em> too </em> peacefully, as he didn’t see any movement from her chest. Activating his Byakugan, he examined her chakra network. It seemed to be in working order, but her heart had literally stopped - he couldn’t see it moving at all. What the fuck? Neji walked to her side and knelt down to hold his ear over her mouth. Relief flooded his senses as he felt faint breaths leaving her parted lips. Kami, the last thing he needed was for this chick to fucking keel over on his watch, ruining his career and reputation.</p><p> </p><p>Ara opened her eyes then. “Good-morning!” she sang, startling Neji and sending him scrambling backwards towards the wall. “The next time you try to take advantage of me while I’m asleep, I’m going to greet you with a swift kick to the nuts instead of a cheery salutation.” Her voice lowered dramatically, dripping with venom. </p><p> </p><p>“Get over yourself. I was just making sure you weren’t suffocating.” </p><p> </p><p>“Were you worried about me, Neji-kun?” </p><p> </p><p>A blush rose to his cheeks and he looked away from her, rising to his feet. Of all the times for him to blush like some schoolboy, why did it have to be now? Sometimes it seemed like his dick genuinely did have a mind of its own. “No, you just sleep like a corpse, that’s all,” he replied. “Unfortunately for me, you’re still alive. And <em> never </em> call me that again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or what - you’re going to tell me to never call you that again and I’m going to do it again anyways?”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go,” he said, ignoring her highly accurate statement. He had no idea what to do, or how the hell he was going to cope with this woman’s presence. So far she had matched his divisive attitude blow for blow, and it was infuriating. Certainly it wasn’t this huge of an annoyance to others when <em> he </em> acted that way. No, that was impossible; otherwise he would have no friends, right?</p><p> </p><p>Begrudgingly, Ara let the matter go and followed him out of the house before he could get too far away. She needed to stop overthinking things and letting her insecurities run rampant, otherwise her mouth was going to burn every single bridge for her, before she even came across them. Besides, her tongue was unruly enough without the added emotional toll of this situation. </p><p> </p><p>Trying to focus on something else, she looked around at the shinobi and citizens working together to transport materials to the plethora of construction sites. The clang of hammers and grinding of saws filled the dewy morning air, sunlight reflecting off of the droplets of sweat peppering the workers’ faces and giving them an almost shiny appearance. </p><p> </p><p>“Your construction seems to move surprisingly fast, despite the primitive methods,” Ara commented. </p><p> </p><p>Neji kept his gaze ahead as he responded. “Primitive or not, hard work is what actually gets it done.” </p><p> </p><p>Work smarter, not harder, she thought. Hadn’t he heard that before? She almost said it out loud, but recognized that doing so might come off as offensive. No, not might - it definitely would. </p><p> </p><p>They were silent as they continued to follow a narrow dirt path through the smattering of buildings. Ara noticed the occasional appearance of the same creatures she had sent flying in terror the previous evening. She spotted a small blue one perched on a pile of lumber off to their side and held out her arm to see if it would come to her, attempting to reach out to it with a gentle pulse of her chakra. The animal made a pleasant noise before fluttering over and landing in Ara’s palm with a flap of what she recognized to be wings. </p><p> </p><p>She squealed, examining its small black eyes and short beak. “I’ve never seen such a tiny bird! Ahh, so cute.” </p><p> </p><p>“There are birds where you come from?” he asked, internally scolding himself for betraying interest. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, although they are much bigger than this. My companion - Tatsu - had a wingspan of about 8 meters.” </p><p> </p><p>Thinking of the creature made her miss the big blue guy. She doesn't even know if he was still alive, since the last time she’d seen him was when she aged ten, and had gone riding with Kaguya and the youngest of her elder brothers. That had been her last day of freedom.</p><p> </p><p>Neji scoffed at her in disbelief. No natural bird had a wingspan that large that he knew of. Only a summoning animal would reach such a size. What the hell kind of planet was she from? “That sounds made up. I don’t believe you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmph. Argentavis Magnificens, look it up!” </p><p> </p><p>Only after she had spoken did Ara realize that humanity likely had not yet developed an information networking system like their own; her people had computing machines where they could store near infinite volumes of data. They became a huge repository of knowledge, enabling the transcription of all of their books and archives into a single volume that could be accessed by anyone who was given permission. Neji just might have a heart attack if she showed him the tablet stored in her hidden leg pouch, even if it hadn’t worked in years. </p><p> </p><p>Neji briefly glanced up at the sky, unsure of what she meant by ‘look it up’. Did she want him to go to a library and sift through books for a term he wasn’t going to find? Absurd - what a lunatic suggestion. One thing he did want to know, however, was why she used the same measurements as he would have. Not that it was unreasonable for different civilizations to reach the same practical solution to the problem of quantifying physical characteristics. She had feet, so it was logical to assume that perhaps they too had started measuring using body parts and evolved from there in the same way humanity had, but still. There was also the matter of communication. He may as well just ask, so Neji gave into this gnawing curiosity and addressed the second half of her bizarre claim.</p><p> </p><p>“How is it that you use the same units of measurements as we do? Not to mention language-”</p><p> </p><p>Before he could finish, a familiar pair of shinobi called out to them, leaving a lone man to support the log they had been carrying. Fantastic. It was only natural for Lee to prevent him from observing any intellectual growth. The man who was unfortunate enough to be reliant upon those two yelped as he fumbled and dropped the lumber, which only narrowly avoided crushing his feet. </p><p> </p><p>Ara began to wave at them, but remembered that they would not recognize her. When she remembered why that was, she began to feel anxious. Her secret prank was about to bite her in the ass.</p><p> </p><p>“Neji-san! Is your rear-end intact today?” Lee asked, breaching Neji’s personal space and earning himself a light shove. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you talking about?” Neji asked, mind reeling. </p><p> </p><p>What the fuck was he doing, asking him such a thing? Was Lee implying that he was gay? Maybe he’d seen them that one time Neji and Kiba had kissed. It wasn’t consensual; Kiba did it on purpose just to traumatize him. Even went so far as asking Neji to pretend to be Hinata-sama so he could ‘see what it was like’. That guy was an animal; Neji had nearly killed him. But he was certain no one else had been around.</p><p> </p><p>This was trouble<em> , </em>Ara thought. She grabbed Neji’s sleeve and tugged on it lightly, hoping he would take it as a hint to play along.</p><p> </p><p>“We went to eat ramen last night, remember? When you saw that Naruto had been given the title of  ‘Ramenkage’, you got jealous and challenged his wall photo to an eating contest-”</p><p> </p><p>“Which you <em> totally </em> lost,” Tenten interjected. “Which shouldn’t have been possible.”</p><p> </p><p>“-and started crying after eating five bowls of spicy ramen.” Lee lowered his voice to what counted for him as a whisper. “You even accused the chef of trying to mutilate your rectum and got us kicked out for telling the other patrons that they were trying to probe everyone’s anus with the noodles.” </p><p> </p><p>Tenten leaned in to whisper as well. “We had to restrain you to keep you from doing something violent. You had started coming up with a fuinjutsu that you were convinced would summon Naruto because he was, quote, ‘clearly bound by a contract to make me miserable’.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji had no idea what either of them were talking about. The only plausible thing he had heard was his supposed claim about Naruto being his personal tormentor. It wasn’t always intentional, but Naruto truly did have a knack for inadvertently causing Neji psychological pain. Like the one time Konohamaru had approached him during the chunin exams and disguised himself as a girl Neji was ‘in love’ with. By in love, he meant that Naruto said she was hot and Neji didn’t disagree. Naruto was leaving the village for some time so naturally, he had ensured that Konohamaru mastered the sexy jutsu technique so he could prank people in his absence. The brat started squishing his boobs together and shaking his barely covered ass in front of every genin in the fucking five great nations, all while directly antagonizing Neji. It had driven him to activate his Byakugan and incapacitate the kid before anything worse happened. So even though Naruto never specified him as a target, the entire debacle was his fault. The memory still kept him up at night.</p><p> </p><p>“Neji-san, you were inconsolable! You told us that your asshole was going to be sore for days!” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I considered taking you to the hospital but feared for the safety of the medical-nin, so we just locked you inside the nearest empty house and put a timed seal on the exits.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji just stared at them, clenching his jaw as he tried and spectacularly failed to push down the insurmountable rage he felt. <em> Of course </em> Aratani had borrowed memories from the most embarrassing timeline imaginable. No, not even imaginable, it was impossibly embarrassing and there was no way that he would ever do something like that in any universe! What did he even do to her to deserve such humiliation? </p><p> </p><p>Ara giggled nervously, covering her mouth as she watched his reaction. He was really angry. Oh shit, yeah, this guy was beyond livid. This is why she hated herself sometimes, she just couldn’t help being a fucking moron and crossing every line known to man for no reason. Whatever was coming her way was well deserved. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, who’s this?” Tenten asked, either not noticing or not caring about the fact that her teammate was five seconds away from going berserk.</p><p> </p><p>“Miss, are you Neji-san’s girlfriend?” Lee followed, playfully jeering at Neji. </p><p> </p><p>Big mistake. Huge. Tenten laughed and Neji gave Lee a death stare, causing the colorful shinobi to recoil in fear while frantically muttering a string of apologies. He knew it was ultimately Ara’s fault, but Lee was clearly bringing it up to intentionally piss him off instead of just letting it go and stay between them like a normal human being. That bushy-browed maggot picked the wrong day to push his luck, as he was soon to discover. Neji grabbed him by the collar and dragged his victim behind the nearest building and into a secluded patch of woods. Ara was genuinely concerned for his safety, and looked at Tenten to see her reaction. </p><p> </p><p>“Um, should we go after them? I really think he might hurt him-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’ll be fine. This happens often enough that I no longer waste my time trying to intervene,” she sighed. “Anyways, I’m Tenten. I take it you’re new to the village?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ara Hoseki,” she responded, attempting to smile, “and yes, I’m from a small village.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, is that so? Maybe I’ve heard of it!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ugh. Fuck. What do I say? Think of something, quick… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Bakakagure. Is the name of my village, I mean. Bakagakure.” Seriously. Village of idiots? Honestly, right now that wasn’t too far off from the truth. If the shoe fits, so they say. And presently, the shoe fit quite well.</p><p> </p><p>“Huh, that’s not in one of the Five Great Nations is it?” Tenten tilted her head to the side curiously, brown eyes squinting in thought. </p><p> </p><p>In the daylight, Tenten’s eyes were actually really pretty. They were round and slightly upturned, with large irises the color of Magnolia bark that had a faint greenish tint whenever a shadow cast over them. Her features were somewhat androgynous, too; last night her face had appeared cute and feminine, but right now Ara found her to be boyishly handsome. Funny, she would have expected the reverse given the corresponding circumstances. The androgyny reminded her of <em> him </em>, but in this case she didn’t feel revolted. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no, it's actually in the Land of….Grass.” She had no idea if the Land of Grass was real, it was just the first thing that came to mind because she was standing in the stuff. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, yeah, I think Kusogakure is there as well! So what brings you here?”</p><p> </p><p>Now Ara was really sweating, and regretting not taking the time to come up with a cover story. She could talk out of her ass, or she could come up with one that was the heavily-veiled truth. The latter would be easier to maintain.  “Hmm, well, it's a bit of a long story. I don’t want to keep you.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenten smiled, sitting down and patting the spot on the grass beside her. Off in the distance, a muffled scream and frantic pleading could be heard. “Don’t worry, they will be a while. Besides, you’re a breath of fresh air compared to those fools. I’m all ears!”</p><p> </p><p>A blush crept up her cheeks in response to the undeserved kindness. Ara could easily be lumped in with the other two at times. She sat down next to Tenten, hugging her knees to her chest and letting her eyes wander around. “Alright, as long as you don’t mind, Tenten-san.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you can just call me Tenten,” the kunoichi replied with a laugh. “Anyways, you don’t have to share if you aren’t comfortable.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, it’s fine though,” she smiled. Neither of them noticed that Neji and a dazed but still able to walk Lee were heading towards them.  “My father is very abusive and controlling. All I ever did was train, I never left the house or went into the village outside of that. I escaped around a year ago, wandered for a time and then ended up coming here when the war broke out. I came to the Leaf specifically because-”</p><p> </p><p>“She is related to a Hyuga that defected from the main clan several generations ago. That’s why she has the Byakugan; she came to find Hiashi,” a much calmer Neji finished for her. Impeccable timing, because she hadn’t a clue what was about to come out of her mouth, and it likely would have been both incriminating and weird. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, what he said.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m glad you’re with us now and away from that awful man. I hope you feel welcome here!” Tenten grinned broadly, jumping to her feet and offering a hand to help Ara stand. She took it gladly, a bit conflicted about it all. It was so nice to be accepted by someone, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty and like it wasn’t warranted, whether she told the truth or not. “So, what are you and Neji up to?”</p><p> </p><p>“She needs new clothes and I have to babysit her,” Neji replied shortly. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, back in my village we only wore our birthday suits. It’s pretty boring, given that most of the citizens are old men.” Ah, there it was. Ara had gone entirely too long without spewing creepy nonsense, it was bound to happen. Maybe she needed professional help to get rid of the awful habit.</p><p> </p><p>“Aw man, I wish I could go shopping. I hope you’re not serious, though, I for one would have to blind myself if I ever saw either of these two-”</p><p> </p><p>Lee, who had retained enough cognizance to know when to shut her up, grabbed Tenten’s arm and started pulling her back towards their work site. “Tenten, the village is in need of our assistance! Nice to meet you, miss Ara-san!” </p><p> </p><p>“Dammit, Lee! Hey, it was nice to meet you- see ya around!”</p><p> </p><p>Tenten gave an apologetic wave as she was dragged away. Ara watched them in amusement, failing to notice that Neji had already started walking away at a brisk pace. She turned around to ask about what happened in the woods but was met with an empty space. Seeing him already several meters away, she sighed before jogging to catch up with him. </p><p> </p><p>Thinking to herself, she wondered why Neji seemed to always be so tense around others. Even if her prank hadn’t been an influence, he would have still been rather standoffish. Oh well - at least she wasn’t the only person he acted like that around.</p><p> </p><p>Ara walked alongside Neji in silence. She felt bad for teasing him so relentlessly now that she was no longer delusional with adrenaline like she had been the previous night. She could see how easily his moods were spoiled. Not that she could blame him in this case. Finally, they stepped out onto the main street that was lined with small shops and restaurants. While making their way towards the only opened clothing shop, Ara kept gasping and making strange noises while looking in the windows of the other stores they passed. </p><p> </p><p>The burdened shinobi was quickly losing patience with the strange girl who was wasting time by conversing with herself. He wondered if perhaps his current situation was karmic punishment for his actions as an angsty and bitter youth.</p><p> </p><p>“Ara,” Neji said, stopping to stare at her. She nearly ran into him, distracted by a stuffed ku-ra-ma in one of the shop windows. “What are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, well there’s just so many cute and interesting things,” she replied, patting her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>Neji rolled his eyes and continued walking. “Please focus. We don’t have all day.” </p><p> </p><p>“Right, sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>The submissive response surprised him, considering who he was talking to. He didn’t complain, however. Perhaps she had a conscience after all and felt bad for trying to ruin his day with her little stunt. He was starting to wonder if she was actually malicious or just an extremely impulsive and emotional person. Still a toss up at that point, and only time would tell. Though he had a feeling it might be the latter, as much as he would love to have a righteous reason to loathe her. Maybe it was a defense mechanism similar to how he just walls himself off. She certainly wouldn’t have been the first person he’d met who had a tendency to self-sabotage or be inappropriately humorous. Hell, half of the people he knew fell into one of those categories. </p><p> </p><p>At long last they reached their destination, and Ara excitedly yanked open the door. Neji followed, renouncing his will to continue existing, and leaned against the wall while she flitted about, carefully inspecting every single item of clothing that was available. Which, unfortunately, was a fuck ton. It was like they had specifically packed it full of as many garments as possible in order to prolong his torture. All different, too, so she had to inspect each one. At first he tried to entertain himself by mentally dressing her up in the most ridiculous outfits he could come up with, but that eventually devolved into <em> un </em>dressing her after part of her slipped to the side and revealed her shoulder. Yep. Neji Hyuga, a skilled Jonin, was still reduced to his carnal desires when faced with more than two centimeters of skin that happened to belong to a female who wasn’t ugly. He cursed his manhood and stared at the ceiling instead.</p><p> </p><p>After thirty minutes of her exaggerated ‘hmms’ and ‘oohs’ Neji closed his eyes and silently begged for the sweet release of death. Ghosted by the Grim Reaper, he gave up and allowed his mind to wander instead. </p><p> </p><p>Ara held up a long-sleeved mesh top and a light blue crop-top with a turtleneck side-by-side, comparing them as if the fate of the ninja world depended on her decision. “Neji-kun, which one of these would you pick,” she called out, holding the tops in question up where he could see them. </p><p> </p><p>Why, why did she insist upon calling him that when she already knew he was in a foul mood. He responded without opening his eyes. “Whatever is both functional and affordable.”</p><p> </p><p>“You haven’t even looked.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji fixed her with a searing gaze as he pushed off of the wall, angrily crossing his arms. “Fuck! I don’t care, just pick something! This is taking way too long, it's just clothing.”</p><p> </p><p>His words were harsher than she was prepared for; Ara found herself feeling hurt, even though he had every right to be angry at her. The only reason she had asked him was to try and reach out - an attempt at some normal interaction. She now realized that she had already tarnished any hope of a friendly relationship with this guy, and the loneliness of her situation set in as Neji walked out of the shop to cool off. This was the first time she had ever even had the opportunity to make friends with people, and it was becoming painfully obvious that Ara was horrible at it. Even if she had escaped her former situation relatively unharmed, her social skills and impulse control had decayed from lack of use.</p><p> </p><p>Ara began to second-guess her decision to trust these people. Her intentions were completely benevolent, but they had no way to know that for sure. What had she been thinking, willingly sealing away her power and thrusting herself into human society? She didn’t know a single one of them, period. If something were to happen to Neji, she would be trapped here. Well, unless she resorted to <em> that </em>, but Ara refused to even entertain the notion. </p><p>That was a last resort; she had already vowed not to use it unless absolutely necessary. The only condition that would be deemed as such was if the literal world depended on it. As in, if everyone was about to die or something, since that was the exact opposite of everything she stood for. If she really did want these people to trust her, she would have to extend them the same courtesy. </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t usually cry, but in that moment such a visceral response was very tempting. Bolstering herself with the words of an ancient proverb stating that ‘big girls don’t cry’, she pushed the idea away. Unfortunately she didn’t push hard enough, and it came right back. Ignoring the tears yet again, she refocused on the task at hand and decided to go with the crop top. Once all was said and done, she ended up with the crop-top, a pair of gray shorts, a dark red kimono jacket, and a pair of black thigh-high boots. With an open toe, of course. </p><p> </p><p>She purchased white wrappings to cover her hands, figuring those were more likely to stay on than a pair of fingerless gloves. On top of that, they would be much cheaper to replace. After paying for her items, the shopkeeper offered for her to change in one of the back rooms, which Ara gladly accepted. Changing quickly, she carefully wrapped her hands and arms with the dressings, from her palms to halfway up her bicep. She gathered up her long locks, twisting half of it into a secure bun and letting the rest flow into a long ponytail. Her long side-bangs were wrapped in extra bandages, because she was too lazy to braid them. It looked cool, anyways. Very ninja. The pouch secured to her thigh had thankfully survived her tantrum, and the tablet within was unharmed - but still useless. She tossed the piece of junk into what she assumed was a trash bin.</p><p> </p><p>Satisfied with her new outfit, Ara tucked the old kimono under her arm and stepped out of the store. The quiet street was now bustling with old people, children, and other civilians who were unable to work construction jobs. Glancing around, she spotted Neji talking to - or rather, being talked to by - a very attractive blonde woman. Like, give you a nosebleed levels of hot. She had bright, almond shaped sea-blue eyes, a slim face, and a button nose. Her hair was impossibly shiny and styled into a high ponytail with a section of long bangs covering one side of her face. And as if she hadn’t already won the genetic lottery, she had one of those fit but somehow still curvy figures. Ara couldn’t decide if she wanted to <em> be </em> her or be <em> on </em> her. </p><p> </p><p>She started to wonder if Neji was even into women considering how relaxed and indifferent he seemed, but quickly realized that it was problematic to make assumptions about someone’s sexuality based off of nothing other than a loose adherence to a set of preconceived stereotypical behaviors.</p><p> </p><p>Ara strolled over to them, politely waiting for one of them to notice her presence instead of interrupting. Because she was intimidated, and also because she no longer had faith in her ability to socialize. The blonde woman flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and briefly glanced around, which alerted her to Ara’s presence. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji, who’s this stunner? I never knew you had actual game,” she said with a suggestive smirk, raking her eyes up and down Ara’s now much-less concealed form. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, it's not like that,” Ara replied. “We’ve only just met, so we haven’t been together long. Not like in an erotic way, just in the forest. We met in the forest last night and he arrested me. Not how I prefer to be manhandled, you know? Besides, I, um...” they were both staring at her, trying to comprehend her line of thought, and their anticipation unfortunately encouraged her mouth to keep producing word vomit. </p><p>Neji wanted to stop her for his own sake, but was too curious to see where this train wreck was headed. </p><p> </p><p>Internally, she screamed at herself to close her mouth and stop talking immediately. </p><p> </p><p>“...I like my men how I like my emotions, you know? Which I bury deep inside of me. And Neji isn’t like that. He’s outside. Like me and the forest. Well I guess we are all outside aren’t we, ha.”</p><p> </p><p>The other woman erupted into a fit of laughter, and even Neji- who was still grumpy- was struggling to contain himself. The sadistic pleasure he felt from seeing her completely flounder in every possible way was extremely satisfying. She was acting totally different than the night before, her composure was completely shot to hell. It was fucking hilarious, she was literally losing her mind from anxiety. Neji knew he should have felt bad for her, but right now he was too entertained.</p><p> </p><p>Ara found herself growing rather hot in their presence, despite the pleasant temperature outside. This was not what she had in mind whenever she imagined having the attention of two beautiful people at the same time. Kami, why was her mind stuck in the gutter all of a sudden? She honestly wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. No amount of scientific knowledge would grant her or anyone else the information needed to figure out how, why, or what the fuck just came out of her mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you hear yourself sometimes? Like, when you speak?” Neji asked incredulously.  </p><p> </p><p>“Kami, that was gloriously weird! You and Neji would make a great pair. Yamanaka Ino, pleased to meet you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ara Hoseki, and the pleasure is all mine,” she said with a thousand-yard stare. </p><p> </p><p>Ino, bless her, disregarded the outburst and made light conversation. Ara explained her purpose for being in the village and gradually became more comfortable and confident. As it turns out, she got along quite easily with Ino when she herself was behaving in a sane manner. The anxieties of the past day seemed to have short circuited her personality; hopefully only temporarily. Neji stood with his hands in his pockets, only talking when Ino asked him to comment on or agree with something. The two women started to click, and Ara was grateful to have met someone she was confident could become a close friend. </p><p> </p><p>“Say, Ara-chan, our class is getting together tonight to celebrate before a few of us have to head out on supply missions. You should come, it’ll be a good way to meet people since you’re new in town!” </p><p> </p><p>“By celebrate she means to drink irresponsibly while pretending that we aren’t in the beginning stages of a likely devastating conflict,” Neji spoke up.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmph, you’re as cynical as ever,” Ino responded. “He’s not wrong. But still, it’ll be loads of fun! In fact, the offer isn’t optional, you’re going to be there.” </p><p> </p><p>“Aha, sure thing. Thank you, Ino-san.” Ara was trying to contain her happiness, unused to such kind and welcoming behavior. It took an incredible amount of mercy to forgive her horrific first impression.</p><p> </p><p>“No need for formalities, just Ino is fine. Anyways, I’ve gotta go make sure Shikamaru isn’t sleeping through the day. You two stay out of the forest and try not to get arrested again. See you later Neji, Ara-chan!”</p><p> </p><p>Ino gave her a flirtatious wink and bounded away, her blonde ponytail flowing behind her like a ray of sunshine and positivity; a stark contrast to the awkward gloom surrounding Neji and Ara. Ara giggled in excitement, but her amusement was squashed as soon as she remembered how irritated Neji had been earlier. She remained silent as they left the village center, and made sure to walk a safe distance away from him. Instead of going back to the house she had slept in the night before, Neji led her in the opposite direction. The dirt path wound through a series of much larger buildings, and she recognized one of them as what she believed to be a hospital. </p><p> </p><p>“Um, sorry to ask, but where are we going?” Ara asked quietly. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m taking you to the Hyuga compound. Tsunade is sending someone over to spar with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, okay.”</p><p> </p><p>They continued on for a while until the compound became visible in the distance. Suddenly, Neji held his arm out to stop her. He cleared his throat and glanced towards Ara from the side. </p><p> </p><p>“About earlier…” he started, swallowing nervously. “I apologize for losing my temper. This past twenty four hours have been overwhelming; but I should not have taken my frustrations out on you.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara stared at him, stunned by the unexpected admission of guilt. His words sent a wave of warmth through her body, which was quickly swept away by shame.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you. However, I should be the one apologizing. I tend to lash out when I am stressed, and that isn’t okay. I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with it.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji had no prior intentions of apologizing, but something about seeing her and Ino act all chummy - and also her social self-immolation - made him regret his earlier outburst. They were both stressed out about the situation; it wasn’t just him. He could see now that she legitimately did not have malicious intent when it came to her...mannerisms. Neji knew all too well what it was like to feel like you had no one, and treating her like an intruder would not reflect well on the village or himself. Even if she was <em> technically </em> an outsider. </p><p> </p><p>Right then and there, Neji decided that going forward he would try to be more easygoing. This would prove to be difficult for the young man, but a challenge had never deterred the Hyuga prodigy.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay,” he replied, contemplating asking his next question. “I ask this out of concern, and not to belittle you: are you mentally well?”</p><p> </p><p>Ara turned bright red. Fantastic, she had finally achieved every woman’s dream of having an attractive man ask if you are mentally ill. She may as well be honest; she had nothing left to lose at this point. “Uh, yes. I think. The thing is, before yesterday I literally hadn’t talked to anyone in more than a year.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji didn’t understand how that was possible. If it was, he needed to know the secret in case the idiots he had to deal with ever drove him to the point of needing a year of solitude. “Why not?”</p><p> </p><p>She laughed nervously. “Well first, I was alone inside of an empty dimension for a while. Then, I was alone traveling. And now I’m here. Needless to say, my social skills are...a bit rusty.”</p><p> </p><p>“That is understandable.” </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t really know what else to say. The implications of her statement were pretty dark, and he wasn’t prepared to discuss such themes at that particular moment. Maybe, just maybe, he should give this chick a second chance. Just like Naruto had given him all those years ago.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry that happened. And...it's good that you are here instead. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I’m willing to start fresh if you are.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara thought that it was way too sentimental of a thing for him to say. So, why did he?</p><p> </p><p>It just sort of...felt like the right thing to say. Neji <em> wanted </em> to say it - to comfort her - which disturbed him. When he glanced over at her reaction, she was just blushing and staring at the ground with bleary eyes. Fuck, please don’t cry. He really wouldn’t know what to do then.</p><p>As they neared the compound, she looked up at him and smiled. “I’d like that as well.”</p><p>
  <b>-ooooooo-</b>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>-ooooooo-</b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <b>What’s in a name?</b>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Aratashiki ( </em> <b>新た指揮</b> ) means 'new command'. This is the intended usage for my story. There is also <em> Arata-shiki </em> (新た式), meaning 'new style'.</p><ul>
<li>
<em>Arata</em> (新た, 新) means 'new, fresh'</li>
<li>
<em>Shiki</em> (指揮) means 'command' </li>
<li>
<em>Hōseki</em>(宝石) means 'jewel, jewelry'</li>
<li>
<em>Aratani</em> (新たに) is a femine version of the name <em>Arata </em>(新), and has the same literal translation<em>.</em> It also means 'precious stone' according to random names dot com, lol.</li>
</ul><p> </p><p><em> ~Shiki </em> itself has various meanings as a suffix:</p><ul>
<li>式: ceremony</li>
<li>式: formula, expression</li>
<li>式: style</li>
</ul><p> </p><p>Isshiki, Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and Urashiki are all spelled phonetically, however, and have no literal meaning. Their names come from various japanese folklore figures instead, namely:</p><ul>
<li>Issun-bōshi</li>
<li>Momotarō</li>
<li>Kintarō</li>
<li>Urashima Tarō</li>
</ul>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Taking One for the Team</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kakashi and Aratani face-off. True friends stab you in the front.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>"The glue that holds all relationships together--including the relationship between the leader and the led--is trust, and trust is based on integrity."</strong> </em>
</p><p>- Brian Tracy</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><strong>Chapter 5: Taking One for the Team</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“Someone get me a stick or something!” Ara yelled. Neji tossed her a katana instead, and she admired the sharpened blade wistfully. “Never mind, this’ll do.” </p><p> </p><p>Aiming her sword towards her opponent, Ara put on her best warrior-queen glare and stared him down menacingly. It would have been perfect, except she had to tilt her chin up to meet his eyes. Being of short stature had its perks and  intimidation was not one of them. Shocker. What she lacked in height she made up for in confidence, though, as the prospect of a fight set her nerves abuzz with a familiar anticipation. </p><p> </p><p>“Kakashi-sensei, I accept your challenge! Prepare for annihilation!”</p><p> </p><p>The ninja in question stared back at her, wondering how such a small person managed to create so much noise. He kept his expression neutral, both to conceal his humor and to hide his excitement. Kakashi could not help but feel a rush of anxiety at the prospect of sparring with a supposed celestial entity, even if her powers were handicapped. Assuming she wasn’t lying about the whole thing, that is. For all he knew this was all some elaborate prank, and she was actually Might Gai in disguise. </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t really have a choice, but ok,” he responded, moving into a defensive stance.</p><p> </p><p>Instantaneously, her expression became serious as she entered a state of intense focus. Ara vaulted herself forwards using the katana as leverage. She extended her legs mid air and aimed the soles of her feet at Kakashi’s chest, intending to deliver a powerful kick. He dodged backwards out of her reach, pulling out a kunai and blocking a powerful blow from her katana that forced him to take a step back. She had anticipated for him to jump away from the kick, and landed on her feet so she could channel her body’s momentum into the swing. A clever move, but too slow. She followed up with another strike and parried the blow, jabbing a fist towards her waist. Ara reacted quickly and grabbed a hold of it, pulling him forwards and using his shoulder as leverage as she flipped over him. Shoving his body into the ground, she twisted in the air to land on his back, twisting and securing his arm as she pinned him to the ground. As she pressed the blade of the katana against his nape, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. </p><p> </p><p>A clone, she should have expected that. It was clear that he wasn’t taking this seriously, so she needed to up the ante with her Byakugan. </p><p> </p><p>“So you’ve got the Byakugan, huh?” Kakashi grunted, identifying the dojutsu despite it’s uncharacteristic gold color. He was now standing at the other end of the clearing, and darted forwards to try and take advantage of her blind spot. Ara expected this, spinning around to meet his strike with her katana. </p><p>The clang of metal pierced the ears of the silent onlookers. Tsunade, Hiashi, and Neji were standing at a distance and impatiently waiting for things to get interesting. Hinata was the only one who was interested. </p><p> </p><p>“Who is she? That Byakugan...what’s going on?” Hinata asked.</p><p> </p><p>“This is no ordinary opponent, Hinata,” he replied. “Look at her chakra pathways.” </p><p> </p><p>Hinata obeyed, activating her Byakugan per her father’s suggestion. Taking in her extensive chakra reserves, she gaped at the mysterious woman and wondered where on earth she had come from. Hinata guessed that she might possess even more chakra than Naruto and his Kyuubi. </p><p> </p><p>Glancing over and seeing their bored expressions, Ara changed her mind about using the sword. Today would be a little more hands-on She side-stepped to disengage and darted past him, throwing the sword onto the ground and facing him with a poised stance. </p><p> </p><p>“Among other things.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well then, let's test your taijutsu abilities. Shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>They faced off, weaponless, staring each other down as they waited for the other to make the first move. He hadn’t activated his sharingan yet. Ara was insulted. She was going to make him regret that. Patience was not her virtue and she struck out first, darting forwards and throwing a powerful cross towards the other ninja. Kakashi dodged and dealt out a counter-attack, which she allowed to hit. Feinting to the left of his next blow, she stepped back and honed in on his tenketsu points. As expected he moved to hit her again in the stomach, and once again she allowed it to make contact, hunching over with the impact. The goal was to throw him off. It worked. </p><p> </p><p>“Eight trigrams, two palms!” He was caught off guard enough to react a millisecond too late. If only he had a dojutsu that would have helped him avoid that hit. Her pointed fingers made contact with two of his chakra points, and she immediately felt him wince. “Four palms.” She immediately caught him again. If he didn’t dodge the next one he was hers. “Eight palms.” His body was fighting to move away from her blows but the damage was already having too great of an effect. “Sixteen palms!”</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi was kicking himself. It had been so long since he’d been pummeled by a gentle fist that he’d forgotten how excruciating it was. He fought through the pain but only managed to dodge a couple of the blows, the majority still connecting. He cursed himself silently as she continued to block off his tenketsu points one by one. He needed to stay focused if this was all going to work. Ignore the pain, he tried to think of literally anything else. Puppies. Icha Icha. Hell, even Sakura, whom he hadn’t thought about since their first mission when she had stood back crying and doing fuck all. Ok, he had thought about her. Kakashi cared for the girl. But he had definitely failed her as a teacher. If he was honest, he failed all three of them. That's why he had to do this. Protection was the only thing he had left to give.</p><p> </p><p>“Thirty-two palms!” She had him in her hands like puddy. It was very satisfying. Part of her considered just ending it there, but she needed to teach him a lesson instead. Cyan chakra began to seep out of her, licking at their skin like flames and intentionally obscuring both of their chakra pathways. “Sixty-four palms!” Ara didn’t even particularly enjoy this technique, but knew it would get her some clout with the Hyuga. At that point, Kakashi’s body was jerking and convulsing with each blow of her chakra. It was time for the teachable moment. “One hundred twenty-eight palms!”</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi continued to take the hits.</p><p> </p><p>Neji was struggling to understand how and why Kakashi had allowed her to gain such an advantage. It was brutal to watch, not to mention out of character, and gave him a bad feeling. A sense of dread. Was he suicidal? Stupid? No. Planning something? That had to be it, Kakashi always had at least his next ten moves planned out. Despite his aloof and arrogant exterior, he was a great strategist and usually had a reason for every move. So just what was he up to? Neji glanced over at Tsunade and Hiashi who seemed to be coming to the same conclusions. Even Hinata looked suspicious, so something must have really been off to cause even her to take notice. This was just unprecedented for the man. Kakashi often joked about death, perhaps he was finally letting it happen.</p><p> </p><p>The last blow landed, and the training area was deathly silent. Kakashi slumped over, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. Nobody wanted to think about what his insides might have looked like. Ara kept him from sliding to the ground, holding him up so that his chin was on her shoulder. He started performing hand signs in front of his stomach. Perhaps he thought she wouldn’t notice. Wrong. Ara knew what he was planning. It was one of the few things she had trained herself in and developed a sixth sense for, thanks to her upbringing. A survival mechanism, a means of gathering critical information without alerting anyone to the fact that she was doing so. Therefore, she knew what was coming; it was bound to happen, best to get it out of the way now before the consequences grew.</p><p> </p><p>She was getting excited. It was repulsive. To be confronted with the thing you hate most about yourself is excruciating, she was dying to run away. But she didn’t move.</p><p> </p><p>“You should have used your sharingan.”</p><p> </p><p>“You shouldn’t have reopened my tenketsu points,” he growled.</p><p> </p><p>His words said one thing, but they both knew their true meaning. In that moment, Kakashi and Aratashiki had fulfilled the terms to an unspoken agreement; a pact of sorts. One that would remain as such, because not once would they ever mention it aloud. They had actually come to this understanding the previous night, Kakashi just hadn't realized that until he felt her begin to increase his chakra flow. He had been fully prepared for the worst once he initially gave himself up to the attack. Kakashi had gambled with his life, willingly. Fortunately for the others, he had turned out to be right. As for him personally, he didn't particularly care whether he lived or not, but that was a whole other issue.</p><p> </p><p>When he first encountered Aratashiki the night before, he immediately sensed the threat. Not because she appeared malevolent, but because he for some reason had this profound understanding of what she was, and the implications. Kakashi knew what she was capable of. He couldn't explain how, or why, he just did. As if the knowledge was planted in his mind long ago, waiting for him to connect it to something. So he knew that she would be listening in, would sniff out his intentions as soon as they solidified in his mind. While she and Neji were preparing to perform the seal he was waiting, watching, strategizing so that he would be prepared. When their eyes met, he decided that he was going to kill her. And a few moments later, she was susceptible to that. Kakashi's hope was that it was the last thing she would read from him, and it seems she had done just that.</p><p> </p><p>The risky part was the part that came next. In truth, he had believed every word she said about her intentions. Everything about her words, body language, and mannerisms held true to those benevolent claims. But this was his village at stake. His friends, loved ones, students, everyone's lives on the line. Which is why he had been willing to bet against his own. He just <em> had </em>to be certain; so many things in this world were not. Aratashiki knew that he was going to make an attempt on her life the first chance he got. Kakashi had put all of the cards in her deck. In his mind, it would go one of two ways: she would resist, he would die, and because of this she would breathe life into all of their worst fears. That she was not what she claimed to be, that her self interests came before everything else. Or, she would let him kill her. Well, let him come extremely close. She would concede, because she too was a protector and that meant that she understood why he needed to kill her and what he needed to prove in doing so. Because she would do the same thing in his position. </p><p> </p><p>And so, as much shit as he knew he was going to be in, Kakashi followed through with it. The plentiful beatings Tsunade would likely be giving him in the immediate future and knowing that some of his peers might shun him were not enough to deter the man. Once Ara had started playing along and altering her 'attack', he knew that it was okay. That he had not misplaced his faith in her, and he could rest easy knowing that the people he cared for were going to be safe from at least one existential threat among the many that seemed to be appearing as of late. Or, in the event that Tsunade murdered him as punishment for this, he could literally rest in peace. The 13 different apologies he had designed to use on the woman might not be enough this time. A heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. It was such a rare thing for Kakashi to have hope that didn't turn out to be false. Usually these kinds of things ended with the people in question going above and beyond to squash any sliver of hope he had for his desolate existence. So this is certainly a welcome outlier.</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi clenched his fist as bolts of lightning gathered around his fingers. Neji, Hiashi, Hinata and Tsunade gasped in shock.  </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, why is he using that on her? Is she an enemy?” Hinata whisper-yelled what they were all thinking.</p><p> </p><p>“Chidori!”</p><p> </p><p>Before any onlookers could process what was happening, the copy-nin lurched away from Ara, rearing back his left arm to strike with the attack aimed at her heart; there was a short gasp and a sickening crunch as the lightning blade pierced through Ara's chest.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>She felt her sternum crack as his hand entered her chest, puncturing one of her lungs on its way to her heart. It ripped through the essential organ and she could feel his fingers entangle with the torn flesh, squelching inside the gory mess of its still-beating remains. He had stopped short of tearing through her back as well, which she was very grateful for. Recovering from such a devastating wound was unpleasant to deal with, but Kakashi had mercifully stopped short on expert mode instead of bumping the coping process up to death-march difficulty. Blood was gushing from the entry wound, soaking his arm and her torso as she rapidly approached unconsciousness and death. She admired the copious blood-spatter decorating his vest before her vision blurred, peppering the world with black spots. Ara barely heard kakashi's voice, her gaze shifting towards the horrified onlookers.</p><p> </p><p>“Forgive me, Aratashiki-san. I trust that you know why I had to do this." </p><p> </p><p>This was the last thing she heard before her vision failed. One moment she was there, alive even if only by a thread, and the next she was reduced to nothing. It was her first time experiencing death, so it never occurred to her beforehand how lacking of an experience death was during those initial moments. There was quite literally nothing; it was like the space between falling asleep and waking up, the things you 'see' when you close just one of your eyes. Emptiness, unreality, incomprehensible desolation. Not a shred of difference between it and the eternity that comes before being born. No thoughts, no consciousness, and if Ara never woke up she might never know that she was dead at all. For eons it stretched on, and then as suddenly as it began it was ending, her senses coming back bit by bit. Or so it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>The first waking found Ara floating in what resembled a large Nebula - the gaseous celestial maternity wards often resulting from the aftermath of a supernova. She felt another presence near her own, and started turning her perspective this way and that to try and locate its source.</p><p>
  <em> Malkuth. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Startled by the loud whisper, Ara searched with even more effervescence to find whoever was in this place with her. She hadn't a clue what Malkuth meant, but felt there was a possibility they were referring to her. "Hello? Who are-"</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Be calm when you wake. Find me in the Land of Wishes - I will wait. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>There was a forceful tugging sensation near the base of her spine, as if an invisible chord were being yanked, and suddenly Ara was falling, fading back into darkness. Bright light burned her eyes and she jolted awake for the second time, involuntarily sucking in hair and feeling it wheeze right back out of her damaged lungs; the pleasure resulting from that sensation only served to further disorient her. She blinked rapidly to try and refocus her vision, revealing the sight of Kakashi's forearm which was still lodged within her upper body.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Hinata stood stock-still watching the scene before her, mouth covered in surprise. Kakashi had just killed someone during an observational spar. She couldn’t believe it. None of them could. A few wouldn't have been surprised if he had suggested such a thing, but to actually follow through? He had the biggest balls in the village that day. Balls that were about to be ripped off and hung on the Hokage's mantelpiece. Tsunade was the first to break from her trance and began moving towards the two, picking up speed as she got closer. Neji followed, his feet moving of their own accord. Why would he do this? She was innocent. </p><p> </p><p>Ara grinned as Tsunade ran up to them, followed closely by Neji. Euphoria. That was all she could feel. It was all-consuming, blinding, threatening to erase her entire being. She fought desperately against it. This was not the time to lose control. The bloodlust would destroy her if she lost focus for even a second. It was the curse of her species, a biological curse of hatred and malice and the desire to kill. Technically it was a survival mechanism on their part, but really it was just a cruel irony. To kill and to keep killing and to never stop killing. This was an opportunity to beat it back. To resist. This is what she had trained for. </p><p> </p><p>“What have you done, Kakashi?!” Tsunade yelled. She stood several steps back, hesitant to approach either one of them. Even she was at a loss. Somehow they were both still standing, but she was afraid to move either one in case it worsened their injuries.</p><p> </p><p>“Kakashi,” Ara rasped, “you might want to get your fist out of my body cavity. Like, seriously. Hurry.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara wasn't kidding, as she could already feel the flesh mending. There was a real chance her organs would regenerate around his hand and trap it inside of her if he didn't move soon, which would be an awkward situation to deal with. Disgusting, really; she didn't even want to think about it, or else that visual would permanently scar her memory. When Kakashi didn't seem to be moving any time in the near future, Ara grit her teeth and pushed herself off of his arm instead. The poor man was probably starting to feel the after-effects of the gentle fist by now. Yes, Ara had opened more tenketsu points than she had closed, but kakashi was still going to endure quite a lot of hurt; it was probably wise for him to seek medical attention, just in case.</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi took a step back while Ara fell onto her knees, both silent and letting their arms hang limp at their sides. They stared at each other, covered in her blood, as the wound in her chest continued to slowly heal. A grotesque sight, to be sure, but poetic as well - according to Neji, in later retellings.</p><p> </p><p>Looking into one another’s eyes, there was no malice, no hatred, no ill-will. Nothing but their mutual understanding. Ara wasn’t mad at him. In fact, she was relieved that they had ended up on the same page.</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san, are you alright?” Neji knelt beside her, trying to make heads or tails of the situation.</p><p> </p><p>She sounded so weak when she spoke, her body looking paler and more frail than Neji would have thought possible based off of his initial impression made back in the forest. His stomach had dropped the moment Kakashi's hand entered her chest, and for a second it felt like he might throw up. This wasn't supposed to be a death match, and Ara hadn't done anything wrong. The unexpected turn of events was infuriating.</p><p> </p><p>"<em> You </em>," he spat, glaring at Kakashi. Neji was seriously considering attacking him. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't just-"</p><p> </p><p>"Neji." Ara interrupted him, her voice regaining clarity. "It's okay."</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade laid Ara onto her back, hands glowing with chakra to help heal the wound faster. The Hokage hadn't said anything yet but her rage was palpable, spilling forth like boiling liquor in a seething pot. She was <em> livid </em>, her green eyes blackened with fury to give the appearance of some demonic entity prepared to consume the life force of any poor soul who dared cross its path. Ara was grateful for the woman's help - especially when Tsunade likely wished to be pummeling her insubordinate jonin into the ground instead - because she was starting to feel the damage, her deranged bliss having worn off at last.</p><p> </p><p>"How can you say that? You could have died," Neji said. Ara's behavior made zero sense to him; she was being way too calm for someone who had just survived an assassination attempt. Because that's what it was - Tsunade put her under the protection of the leaf, gave her their word, and Kakashi went against all of that by betraying her, spitting in the face of their attempt at building trust. Neji couldn't understand, it was like the man who usually radiated with honor had run out of the stuff the moment he stepped into the compound.</p><p> </p><p>"If I were dead I wouldn't be able to cause problems for you. Can't have that," Ara said. She laughed, and Neji could see her lungs moving through the remaining gaps in her chest. He couldn't help but recoil at the sight. Dead bodies were one thing, but gore that <em> also </em> breathed was even worse. "Besides, I did die. Several minutes ago, now."</p><p> </p><p>"Wait, what? How is that..." Neji trailed off in thought, remembering that she'd mentioned something about needing to be mortally wounded twice in a row in order to die 'for real'. Whatever that meant.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't look so devastated. I would never let you off the hook so easily. And, this has been an educational experience," she said.</p><p> </p><p>"Carpe diem, so they say."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm pretty sure I seized the wrong day."</p><p> </p><p>Ara deadpanned, and Neji tried his best to remain serious and look concerned. It was bizarre for her to be cracking jokes at a time like this, even more so for him to find humor in them. Although if he thought about it, she was exactly the kind of person to do such a thing. Funny how being present for someone's 'near' death experience could bond you to them. Suddenly Neji felt very protective of Ara; now he would be white-knighting for both her <em> and </em> Hinata. Not that he would ever admit any of that out loud, as he'd only known the former for one day. Perhaps Neji ought to chill out - not his forte, but motivated people find a way. Life wasn't an Icha Icha novel.</p><p> </p><p>The wound was almost closed again, and Tsunade finally spoke up. “Kakashi, go and wait in my office.” </p><p> </p><p>“Lady Tsunade-” Kakashi started to speak, probably to try and defend himself. </p><p> </p><p>“I know. I get it. You’re lucky that she gets it, too. Now get the fuck out of my sight, I can’t even look at you right now.” Tsunade stood up. “Ara-san. If you’re okay, I’m going to go deal with him. I will speak with you later. You have my sincerest apologies.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hai. Please do not apologize, Lady Tsunade. And please do not kill him,” Ara responded. Tsunade stood up and bowed before quickly taking her leave. She was trying not to lose her cool in front of everyone and could make no promises regarding Kakashi's personal safety.</p><p> </p><p>This was...confusing. Was he missing something? What did everyone else understand? Why wasn’t Ara infuriated? Fucking hell. People should just speak their minds instead of being cryptic; save the riddles and guesswork for the battlefield. Neji had a hunch as to what they could have been talking about, but he was still too pissed off to entertain the thought. Damn fools and their idiotic heroism, he would have actually preferred one of Naruto's friendship monologues over this. Once he was done being angry he would analyze the situation and acknowledge why it happened and why it probably needed to happen, as much as he loathed the idea.</p><p> </p><p>Ara watched Kakashi limp away on Tsunade's heels and noticed a pretty girl with long black hair and short bangs coming towards her and Neji. Hiashi had long since run off to kami knows where. The approaching woman was only slightly taller than Ara- though much curvier- and possessed the same Byakugan as Neji and Hiashi. Ara guessed that she might have been the latter’s daughter. She wore a long purple jacket with white sleeves and loose-fitting cropped pants, with her hitai-ate tied around her neck. The nervous woman gave a deep bow of respect before kneeling next to Neji, who helped Ara sit up. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Hinata asked. “Oh, um, Hyuga Hinata, nice to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Am I okay- really? Ugh, don't be snarky. Don't. This is not the time! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Aratani Hoseki. But I just go by ‘Ara’,” she replied, amused by the effort at socialization. She wondered if that’s how she had seemed to Ino earlier. “And I’m fine, thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Hinata’s face grew hot with excitement. “Ahh, your name is so beautiful! And your gentle fist art was amazing,” she burst out, covering her mouth as if she had expressed some profanity. “Please help me with my training, Ara-sensei!”</p><p> </p><p>Neji stared at Hinata, flabbergasted that his cousin had been moved enough to actually approach a complete stranger. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time she had said that many words in one breath. It irritated Neji that she chose a situation like this to suddenly come out of her shell.</p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-sama, she almost died and you’re already haggling her for training lessons? Have some tact.  And what am I, chopped liver?” Neji huffed, glaring at his rude cousin.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry Ara-san, please forgive me! And I’m sorry for insulting your teaching ability Neji-nii,” Hinata turned even redder with embarrassment, bowing her head in shame. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, you aren’t responsible for his fragile ego. I’d be honored to train you, Hinata-san. Have you mastered the 128 palms yet?” Ara asked. </p><p> </p><p>Neji concealed his laughter with a cough while Hinata gaped at her. “W-w-what? 128 palms...n-no, I’ve only ever gotten to 32…” She looked away, downcast, and a figurative cloud loomed overhead.</p><p> </p><p>Ara grinned at Hinata and gave a thumbs up, saddened by her lack of confidence and hoping to change that disposition in the future. Damn whatever asshole had convinced a Byakugan mother-fucking princess that she wasn’t good enough. Neji was a likely candidate. They must have felt threatened by the fact that she owned a Pure Byakugan. Ara wasn't amazing at reading people, especially in the wake of nearly dying, but she could clearly see that this girl radiated with the determination needed to become powerful. </p><p> </p><p>“No worries, we’ll get you there in no time. I can already sense your strength. Great potential lies within you, Hinata-san!”</p><p> </p><p>Hinata could hardly process the fact that someone - a <em> stranger </em>, no less - had displayed actual confidence in her abilities, and could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes; she was reminded of Naruto, one of the few others who had openly acknowledged her hard work and progress. Before she could find the words to express her gratitude, Ara started to stand up. She failed miserably, but thankfully Neji still had a hold of her arm and kept her steady while she regained her balance. Hinata supported Ara from the other side, and the three of them were quiet as they started walking towards the compound.</p><p> </p><p>“Hiashi prepared a room here for you to stay in, if you’d like.” Neji stated. “It’s in the private wing where Hinata-sama and myself live.” </p><p> </p><p>"Damn my guy, already asking me to move in after the first date? I must be good."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm a ride you wouldn't survive, Ara-san."</p><p> </p><p>Ara snorted, and she saw Hinata's face was going to melt off if they didn't stop this banter. She liked the back and forth, though. And that comment...oof. Not really prime time to be feeling horny.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't tempt me with a good time. Seriously though, are you sure? I don't want to disturb your home environment," Ara replied.</p><p> </p><p>"Then you'll just have to behave while you're here."</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, no promises. Okay, why not. Thank you,” she started to blush. Living with these two? Man, this would be interesting. They may have started anew, but Ara couldn’t guarantee that her and Neji wouldn’t end up ripping each other's head off. Praying mantis style, even. It was just too fun to pester him. A smirk pulled at her lips. “Say, Neji-kun...I guess I’m going to need to buy new clothes again.”</p><p> </p><p>"That sounds like a personal issue. I'd love to help out, except I don't want to."</p><p> </p><p>"Man, you're such an ass, you know!"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm what I call a realist, but in philosophical terms then yes, I'm what's called an asshole."</p><p> </p><p>Ara was starting to get irritated; she knew he was messing around, but he sounded so damn smug that it compelled her to try and take him down a peg. "Careful, Neji. You won't like me when I'm angry."</p><p> </p><p>"I don't like you <em> ever </em>," he said, a smirk playing at his lips. This arrangement was definitely going to be an adjustment.</p><hr/><p>Ch. 5 Page ???</p><p>
  
</p><p>[I may or may not be working on a Doujinshi]</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. De Nile is a River, My Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Scooby and the gang get shit-faced. Aratani gets a promotion.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The first part of this chapter is ridiculous. So much so that I'm almost too embarrassed to even publish it. Almost. Mom- if you ever, by some divine misfortune, find yourself reading this- I'm sorry. You should have used a condom.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em> "Visiting my mind is like visiting the Hermès factory. Sh*t is real."</em> </strong>
</p><p>- Kanye West</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><strong>Chapter 6: De Nile is a River, My Friend</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratani pulled her damp hair on top of her head, styling it like she had earlier. The hairstyle was simple, but looked cute enough while also allowing her to move around uninhibited. She redressed in her new outfit, which was only new in the sense that it was bought an hour ago. Other than that, it was the exact same as the first she'd picked out. She realized that it probably would be in her best interests to have more than one set of clothing going forward. Hopefully she would have some assignments soon so that she would actually have some money of her own.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sliding open her door, Ara stepped into the common area. Hinata was sitting on a cushion at the low table in the center of the room, chin in hand as she daydreamed about having the guts to look Naruto in the eyes.  The sound of Ara’s footsteps on the smooth wooden floors broke her trance, and she jumped to her feet to greet her new acquaintance.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-san! Are you ready? Neji went on ahead....he said we were taking too long.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hn. Of course he did,” she grunted. Looping her arm with Hinata’s, she marched them both towards the door, pumping a fist in the air in determination. “Let’s go get wasted!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hai!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They hurried to their destination to try and keep warm despite the cold night air. But they didn't run fast enough, and were both shivering by the time they reached the small house. There was a sticky note on the door that said 'come in, it's open! except for you, Yamato- fuck off' in terrible handwriting. Neither of them were named Yamato, so it must be ok to enter. Right? Ara paused before opening the door, suddenly feeling nervous at the prospect of meeting so many new people at once. Hinata sensed her discomfort and gave her hand a light squeeze for encouragement before entering the home together.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The doorway opened in front of a staircase, and to the left a medium sized living room that was empty except for a blanket spread out on the floor, and a small radio that was playing nothing other than static, which no one seemed to notice or care about. Ara counted eleven people in total sitting in a circle on the blanket which had an abundance of sake in the middle. She recognized Tenten, Lee, Neji, and Ino among them. When the door creaked open all chatter stopped and the entire group turned to stare at her and Hinata. Before the latter died from embarrassment, Ino yelled out a loud greeting to them both. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hinata, Ara-chan, I’m so glad you made it!” She called. “Come, sit down and I will introduce Ara-chan to everyone!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ino patted the space between her and a man with a spiky ponytail and a bored expression. Ara reluctantly obeyed, awkwardly stepping through the ring of shinobi to plop down beside her. Hinata took a seat next to Neji and a guy with scruffy brown hair and triangular red marks on his cheeks. Ara accidentally made eye contact with him and he winked at her, flashing a toothy smile that showed off a pointed set of canines. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara let out the breath she was holding as Ino slung an arm around her shoulders. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Before we get smashed, I’d like you all to meet Ara-chan! She’s new to the village and is a…” Ino trailed off, unsure of her rank. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kunoichi, from a small village in the Land of Grass,” Ara finished. “Aratani Hoseki. Thank you for allowing me to be here.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kiba Inuzuka, at your service!” The man who had winked at her spoke up first, giving her a salute. “And the pleasure is all ours.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata giggled when she felt Neji tense beside her. He and Kiba had always butted heads, especially in situations like that where Kiba would shamelessly flirt with anything that didn't have a penis. One time, he had even interrupted a battle to flirt with one of the missing-nin. 'She was stacked' is the excuse he’d offered after being told off by Kurenai, who was not at all amused.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They went around the circle and introduced themselves one after the other, stating their names and welcoming Ara to the village. The second to last participant- a pale but handsome man wearing a cropped jacket- leaned forwards to smile at Ara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Pleased to meet you….Chibi.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Before Ara could react, the pink haired woman who had introduced herself as Sakura exploded, jabbing her finger at him and shaking her fist. Next to her, the infamous ‘Naruto’ recoiled in terror.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sai! You can’t go around commenting on everyone’s appearance like that! You..You…!”</p><p> </p><p>“Man, this is starting to be such a drag,” said the man sitting next to Ara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Dammit Shikamaru, quit complaining and start pouring drinks!” Ino commanded. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thankfully, Tenten and Choji were able to restrain the hot headed kunoichi, who continued to curse and threaten her teammate. Sai, on the contrary, seemed completely unfazed. Ara giggled at the scene unfolding while Shikamaru started pouring out and passing around generous portions of sake. It seems that Kakashi had killed off her social anxiety instead of her. No complaints there. Sakura was finally placated when a drink was placed in her hands, much to the relief of everyone in the room. The last time Sai insulted someone during one of their gatherings she punched him into the ground, destroying the room they had been using. Once they had all been handed a cup, Kiba thrust his drink into the air. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Alright! Let’s toast to the end of the Ninja world!” He shouted. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Most of them grumbled in annoyance at his lack of ability to take most things seriously, but there were no objections when everyone made their toast and downed the drinks in one go. Ara cringed at the taste of the liquid- she was used to much stronger spirits, and the sake tasted almost too sweet to her. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Man, I’m gonna need a lot more of this to feel anything,” Ara muttered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ino heard her comment, and an idea formed in her mind. “Guys, we should play never-have-I-ever!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh <em> hell </em> no. We aren’t drunk enough for that yet,” Neji replied. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Aw come on Neji, you never want to play!” Tenten complained. “Besides, some of us here are light-weights. Including you.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto sat up and puffed out his chest. “Well not me! I could drink all of this and still beat Sasuke in a fight, you know!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah right. Sasuke-kun is too amazing for that,” Sakura said dreamily.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kami, Sakura, quit being a simp already!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hn. Is that a challenge?” Ara smirked, addressing the bright orange menace.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The entire room turned to look at her in surprise, and several of the guys started to snigger. Neji was glad to see that her reservations had eased up, though this wasn’t exactly how he’d imagined her ‘opening up’. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What? I may be small but I bet I could drink all of you under the table!” She boasted. “Like, if there was a table.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Prove it then, no one is stopping you.” Kiba sat back on his hands and stared at her, waiting to see if she would take the bait. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura and Ino tried their best to deter her, but much to their dismay Ara refused to back down. Naruto wasn't even an impressive drinker; however, he had a tendency to get carried away, and both women could already tell that Ara was the stubborn type who would keep going no matter what. A match made in hell. She and Naruto grinned at each other before they started downing their respective bottles of sake. The others sipped on their drinks in quiet anticipation, unsure of how this all would go down. Neji watched Ara with disgust and awe as she sucked down the fluids like her life depended on it. A small part of him was kind of turned on by the whole debacle; a part that he aggressively suppressed, and blamed on the alcohol already starting to take effect in his system.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto finished his bottle first, slamming it down and pumping a fist in celebration. Not wanting to risk being in Naruto's vomit splash-zone, Kiba swapped places with Hinata, who was flustered but complied nonetheless. That girl seriously needed to grow a spine. Luckily for her, Ara kept a couple of spares in her skeleton-filled closet.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto, you drink like your patience is shorter than your dick,” Sai commented nonchalantly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The victorious grin covering Naruto’s face quickly fell into an expression of profound mortification. Ara choked on her last bit of sake as she burst out laughing and coughing, and the others soon followed. Even Sakura, who would normally yeet Sai into the sun for such comments, began to laugh. Glancing over at Neji as she reached for another bottle of sake, Ara suddenly became the protagonist in a shitty YA romance novel. She realized then that it was the first time she had ever seen Neji smile, and his laughter was a sound she instantly became addicted to. It was music to her soul, the yin to her yang. The heavens rejoiced, giving their divine blessing for the union, and an ethereal halo appeared around his head.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> That sound…I want to hear that every day for the rest of my life! </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Continuing to stare, the expression on his face seared itself into Ara’s memory. His eyes crinkled like slept-in sheets that she couldn’t wait to dive into, and his nose scrunched adorably as if he was a fluffy little rabbit nibbling on food pellets. Faint dimples framed either end of his beautiful, blindingly white smile that proved he had been following the advice of 9/10 dentists. Every detail was burned into the pink folds of her prefrontal cortex like a brand; he <em> owned </em>her now, and she was perfectly fine with letting him ruin her life. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji noticed her noticing him; or maybe she noticed him noticing her noticing him noticing her? He didn’t know. When their eyes met time screeched to a stop and the rest of the world ceased to exist for like, 10 seconds. A magical breeze ruffled his long silky hair, fanning it out so that he looked like one of those gorgeous models in a shampoo commercial as their smoldering gazes bore into one another. If Ara was a man her manhood would have gone absolutely rigid right then- harder than trying to pronounce the word ‘worcestershire’- and her chest heaved like a bulimic at a bake sale. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The moment ended abruptly when a gnarly burp ripped itself from Naruto’s throat, who promptly returned to wallowing in despair, and reality came crashing down around them like a cold, unsexy shower. Ara’s ephemeral appendage deflated and her very-real womanhood simultaneously dried up like a stale piece of bread. They both looked away quickly and reached for their respective cups, taking rather large swigs of alcohol that only served to intensify the bright pink blush covering their faces.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> What is wrong with me? My tolerance should be way higher than this. And he’s an asshole, assholes aren't worth your lady boners!  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him whenever Ara totally made sex eyes at him, and the resulting flutter in his chest was completely foreign and mildly revolting to him. He refused to even think about the twitch in his pants, already knowing he was going to be plagued with lewd dreams for the foreseeable future. Clearly he hadn’t had enough to drink if he was ready to jump the bones of a literal alien, whom he had met hardly 24 hours ago, like a piranha on a corndog. What was he, an Icha Icha character? Or, even more terrifying: perhaps Kiba was starting to rub off on him. Figuratively, of course, because literally rubbing eachother out was both unappealing and taboo. Kiba elbowed him in the side, interrupting his thoughts as he leaned in to whisper. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“The new girl is staying with you, right? You gonna try and hit that?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"No. She’s too weird,” Neji replied shortly, hoping that Kiba didn't notice him sweating and praying that everyone was too drunk to notice his slight arousal. “Never stick your dick in crazy,” he added, recounting the ancient adage taught to all shinobi from the moment they slid out of their mothers.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Speak for yourself. Crazies are the most fun, if you know what I mean,” Kiba grinned, raising an eyebrow at him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You shouldn’t talk about her like that when she’s two meters away, Kiba.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t act like you’re not a freak, mister Hyuga. I know firsthand, from your <em> own </em> words.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji clenched his jaw in annoyance. Kiba would never let him live down his drunken confession about wanting to tie a girl up with his hitai-ate so he could use his 8-trigrams to assault her erogenous zones, all while risking being caught by someone’s wandering Byakugan. He also confessed to having a teacher-student kink, which was totally unrelated to having to train privately with his cousin and his tendency to imagine that she was literally any other female during said training. Anyways, Kiba could be so immature and always at the worst times. The young Inuzuka had a reputation among the kunoichi of the village as ‘the 30-second poon pounder’, one he was sure Ara had no knowledge of. The man didn’t even have enough pride to care about his horrible stamina. Meanwhile, Naruto was still sulking, and Hinata placed a tentative hand on his shoulder to try and comfort the crestfallen jinchuriki. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto-kun, please cheer up; h-he didn’t mean it…” she whispered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked up at her and leaned in close to her face, placing his hand over hers. Hinata turned redder than a tomato and literally stopped breathing. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Thanks Hinata. I can always count on you, you know?” he smiled before turning back to the group.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The flustered woman covered her face as she tried to stabilize her now-rapid breathing. Ara wondered if everyone else saw how obviously enamoured Hinata was, and decided to appoint herself as her wing-man. Even though it was pretty obvious, Ara could already tell that Naruto was about as observant as a dead bird, so Hinata would need all the help she could get. Tenten was leaning into the shoulder of Lee- who had refrained from drinking anything- and the coupling made Ara wonder if there was anyone Neji was interested in. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Not because she cared. She just needed to know, for science.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara watched as they all conversed, sharing memories of their time at the academy and various missions they had gone on, and she was totally enthralled by the stories. It was a way of life she had never even imagined, let alone experienced. The prospect of creating new memories with the people around her excited and filled her with hope for the future, even if that future involved a war and massive amounts of violence. A voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked to her right to see Ino clapping her hands together. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Alright guys, since Ara-chan is new- we’re gonna play a different game tonight.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Everyone watched her with confused anticipation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Truth or dare!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Once again, all of the men except for Naruto and Sai let out a collective groan. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Awesome! We haven’t played this since...well, since we were all at the academy!” Sakura exclaimed. “Back before Sasuke…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto laughed nervously, cutting her off. “Forget that jerk Sakura-chan! Seriously though, nobody bring him up. If you do I’ll kick your ass, ‘ttebayo!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Information regarding the enigmatic ‘Sasuke’ continued to elude Ara, much to her chagrin. Oh well, she had only been there for one day so far. Before she could ponder the dilemma any longer, Ino swiftly began to lay down the rules of the game. They could choose to answer a truth or complete a dare. If they refused to do either, they had to take a drink.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Alright, who wants to go first?” Ino asked. When no one volunteered, she chose for them. “Naruto- truth or dare?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ugh, gimme a dare,” he muttered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I dare you to eat one of Shino’s bugs!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hey, what the- hell no!” Naruto yelled, face contorting in horror.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ino, you can’t expect so much from someone with no balls. I will do it,” Sai offered. This seemed to rile the sentient traffic cone up.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Screw you Sai! Shino, hand me one of those things- the biggest you’ve got!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Shino, who had consented to <em> none </em>of this, sighed in exasperation. He would have refused outright if not for his drunkenness. Driven by curiosity and a bit of sadism, he held out his hand to Naruto and watched as the thiccest, juiciest beetle to ever exist crawled onto his palm. Naruto paled at the sight, clearly regretting his prior commitment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hah, this is nothing,” he said through gritted teeth. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Everyone watched in terror as Naruto held up the beetle with two fingers and slowly brought it towards his open mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut, and several others covered their eyes as well when the bug neared its destination. Ara looked on in bewilderment as Naruto lowered the insect onto his tongue. In one swift movement he clamped his jaw shut with a sickening squelch, swallowing thickly before reaching for a drink while his face turned an awful shade of green. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You better not throw up my precious insect, Naruto,” Shino threatened. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Most of the group was too traumatized to laugh. Except, of course, for Ara and Kiba. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Holy shit, that was gnarly!” They yelled out simultaneously. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Their heads snapped towards one another, and they pointed their fingers as if looking in a mirror before bursting into another fit of giggles. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oi Shino, since you seemed to enjoy my torment, truth or dare?” Naruto asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Dare.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Heh. I dare you to take off your stupid glasses!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ok.” Shino took off his glasses to reveal completely normal eyes and decent bone structure. It was painfully anticlimactic. “Sai, truth or dare?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Truth.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What are your dreams like?” he asked. Sai never showed emotion, and there had been multiple discussions about what went on inside his head.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“They are mostly sexual,” he responded with a contrastingly innocent smile. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The group was shocked by his unexpected confession, and his teammates in particular were even more disturbed than the others by the implication. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I can’t believe Sai is a secret pervert,” Sakura muttered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“But Sakura, you always masturbate when you’re on night watch during our traveling missions,” Sai commented. “Wouldn’t that make you a pervert too?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The pink haired kunoichi turned as white as a sheet as the entire group giggled and sniggered in reaction to Sai’s revelation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sakura, truth or dare?” Sai asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> This guy is relentless, and I’m totally here for it. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura didn’t respond at all, opting instead to down her drink with inhuman speed, effectively skipping her turn. She was clearly too humiliated to speak, so Choji volunteered himself to take the next turn, which no one argued against.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kiba! Truth or dare?” He asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Eh, how about a dare.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I dare you to shave Akamaru,” Choji suggested. He hadn’t actually taken the time to think of a decent dare.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“First of all, fuck no,” Kiba responded before downing his drink. “Secondly, that’s lame as hell!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Whatever man, at least he didn’t make you eat a fucking <em> bug! </em>” Naruto interjected, with a pointed glare at Ino. “I can still feel it wiggling around in my stomach…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata gasped and covered her mouth like she was going to throw up. Tenten reached around Shino and smacked Naruto in the back of the head since Sakura was down for the count, scolding him for intentionally triggering everyone. Ara watched their animated interactions with amusement, wondering if all friendships were so violent and brutally honest. From beside her, she heard both Ino and Shikamaru mutter something along the lines of ‘here we go again’ when Kiba began to grin devilishly in Ara’s direction.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-san,” he drawled, intonating each syllable separately for effect.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Truth,” she answered before he could ask. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Suit yourself. If you had to fuck someone here, who would you pick?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The room lit up with reactions as Ara sat frozen in shock and blushing furiously. Ino growled from next to her, while Sakura- who instantaneously recovered for the sake of coochie scoochin- and Tenten jumped to their feet. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Why do you have to go and ask the new girl such perverted questions,” they yelled. “You’re gonna scare her off!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kiba is already creeping on Ara-san...what a surprise,” Shikamaru sarcastically commented. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Shino deployed several insects to go and literally bite Kiba’s ass, and Choji pulled out a bag of potato chips so he could ferociously stress-eat. Hinata just about fainted with second-hand embarrassment for her teammate, while Naruto and Lee rolled their eyes. Naturally, Sai remained emotionless, unsure of what was so wrong with the question to cause such visceral reactions. Neji face-palmed, feeling beyond irritated but not willing to expose himself to his friends. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well to be completely honest, probably Ino,” Ara finally answered with a casual shrug of her shoulders. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The entire room froze at once. Coherent thought came to a stand-still for each of the men, tiny explosions sounding off inside their thick skulls as they realized lesbians existed outside of their sexual fantasies. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“However, I don’t usually go for women,” she added. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With that admission their minds were utterly decimated, eyes rolling back into their heads as brain matter seeped from their ears into little puddles on the floor. Just kidding, it was only Kiba’s drool- all minds were physically intact. Only Sai had the guts to voice what they were all thinking. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The women, on the other hand, were blushing furiously. They had all entertained the thought of being with another woman, but were always too ashamed to admit it. Ino was the exception, however, and fanned her face while tossing a sultry gaze at Ara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Wow Ara-chan, I’m flattered. If you’re serious, we can try it out some time,” she said with a wink before turning to the group whose noses had started bleeding. “Take notes, boys. She already has more game than the lot of you combined!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kiba was somehow able to pick his jaw up off of the floor to defend his manly honor. “Don’t loop me in with the rest of these losers, that’s just dishonest!” Kiba seethed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Who are you calling a loser?!” Naruto demanded.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What is ‘game’?” Lee asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m in a relationship with food,” Choji confessed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You can’t include Akamaru in your body count, Kiba,” Shikamaru jeered at him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That last comment by Shikamaru sent Kiba over the edge, and suddenly the two jonin were on their feet and at each other's throats. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the fuck did you just say to me, you cockwomble?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You heard me, dog-fucker.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’ll have you know I graduated 12th place in our class-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Out of twelve,” Shikamaru interjected.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-and I’ve been involved in numerous S-class missions involving the Akatsuki, and I have over 5 confirmed kills, and tons of assists. I am trained in Inuzuka-clan jutsu and I’m the top beast transformation user in the Land of Fire. You are nothing to me but just another useless genin. I will wipe you the fuck out with jutsu the likes of which have never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Shikamaru pretended to take out a notepad, clicking an imaginary pen so that he could write. Ara nudged Ino nervously, wondering why no one was trying to deescalate the situation. Most of the group was watching with disinterest, and a few were cleaning their fingernails absentmindedly.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“They do this once a month, just let it happen,” Ino whispered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-You think you can get away with saying that shit to me just ‘cause we’re drunk? Think again, fucker. As we speak Shino is contacting his secret network of bug spies and your scent is being tracked <em> right now </em> so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“My bugs most <em> certainly </em> are not,” Shino muttered, while Shikamaru continued scribbling furiously on his imaginary penpad.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You’re fucking dead, Shikamaru. I can be anywhere, at any time, and I can kill you in like...11 different ways, and that’s just with my clan abilities. Not only am I extensively trained in taijutsu, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the Konoha ANBU Black Ops and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable twink-ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. I get more pussy than you’ll ever even dream about, and not once have I thought about sticking my ginormous dick in Akamaru. I’m not into that gay shit, unlike you. If only-” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara was unable to contain her amusement, and an obvious snort of laughter escaped through her lips. She covered her mouth in fear, but thankfully Kiba was too busy bugging out to notice. From behind the melodramatic display, Neji sighed and twirled a lock of hair around his finger. Ara’s attention was caught between Neji’s unguarded expression and the epic disaster of a diss being dished out directly above her.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re gonna pay the price, you goddamn idiot-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Shikamaru put away his ‘stationary’ and looked kiba straight in the eyes as his villainous monologue closed in on its staggering conclusion.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-Akamaru and I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re fucking dead, baka!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The two men faced off in a tense and mildly homoerotic veil of silence, allowing several moments to pass before either of them spoke or moved again. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Are you finished or do you need a vibe check?” Shikamaru asked calmly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Nah bro, I’m done.” Kiba’s face relaxed and he stepped away, resuming his position on the floor and chugging the rest of his drink as if the past few minutes hadn’t happened.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> Shikamaru sat back down next to Ara with an exasperated sigh, catching her confounded expression and chuckling. “Right, first time. Such a drag, am I right?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara giggled and shook her head, relaxing along with the others as the agitated mood cleared away. Sakura broke the silence by asking what everyone was going to be working on, and soon a light-hearted conversation was flowing amongst the group, along with yet another round of sake. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-chan, what will you be doing?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She thought for a moment, trudging her way through an alcoholic haze, before responding. “Um, I don’t know yet. So far all I’ve managed to do is fight Kakashi.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto and Sakura gawked at her. “What?!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You fought Kakashi-sensei? How come?” Naruto asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Obviously it was a skill assessment, you idiot!” Sakura responded. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh, right, heh.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-san was amazing, she has even more chakra than Naruto-kun,” Hinata quietly interjected. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Now all eyes were on Ara, except for Neji’s of course. He was biting his tongue and pretending not to care by staring at the super interesting ceiling panels, still wary of himself after their intense moment earlier. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Her Byakugan are golden, too,” Hinata elaborated. Thankfully she’d left out the attempted murder. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Are you some kind of Jinchuriki or something?” Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the hell would she be the Jinchuriki of, dumbass,” Shikamaru pointed out.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I dunno. A bird or something?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A collective groan echoed throughout the room, and everyone forgot their individual questions as the ridiculous suggestion saturated their few still-functioning brain cells. Neji, in his uninhibited state, decided to tease the dolt. “Naruto, do you know what the difference between a million and a billion is?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The ninja in question rubbed his chin thoughtfully, humming in thought. “Well, m is 13 and B is 2, so M minus B is...11?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji stared at him blankly at first, his features gradually twisting into a look of pure befuddlement. He was way too drunk to try and understand Naruto’s absurd logic. Neji was practically scowling in annoyance, he couldn’t believe the hero of the Leaf was such a numbskull. “...what?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>For unknown reasons, their ludicrous exchange broke the dam containing the hysteria inside Ara. She started cackling like a madwoman, and Shikamaru followed suit. By the time they realized they were the only ones laughing, both shinobi were curled up on the ground and wheezing as tears streamed from their eyes. Naruto had passed out during their fit, snoring loudly on Hinata’s shoulder, who was stiff as a board and struggling to breathe yet again. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ino was the first of the others to snap out of her drunken stupor. Well, enough to form coherent sentences, at least. “Guys, we’re really going to war, aren’t we?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hell yeah we are. Is there a word for horny but like, not sexual? I’m horny for battle but I don’t want to fuck the enemy or anything,” Kiba said with a genuinely confused look on his face. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Excited. You’re excited, Kiba,” Shino deadpanned. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Welp, I think it's about time we called it a night. Mainly because I need to go cry myself to sleep now.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The others grumbled in agreement and Kiba let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms above his head.  “Ara-san, why don’t I walk you home?” Kiba suggested.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That isn’t necessary. I’m responsible for her and Hinata-sama,” Neji quickly intervened. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Man, I should start calling you cock-blocker.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Dick Czar would be more fitting,” Sai added. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ha! I like that. Neji ‘Dick Czar’ Hyuga.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m just trying to prevent another attack by a wild animal,” Neji growled. </p><p> </p><p>“Whatever, at least I’m not a beta,” Kiba grumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“Spare me, please. You’re about as alpha as a lowercase B.”</p><p> </p><p>Kiba was too stupid to even understand the insult so he just didn’t respond, instead stumbling through the front door in a huff and shouting a half-hearted ‘goodbye’. Soon the rest of the group had shuffled out, attempting to find their ways home. Ara was the furthest gone out of the three, and Neji had to support her as he led the way back to the Hyuga compound. She was unconscious before her limp body hit the futon.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Ara’s mouth had never felt drier. It was like it had been replaced with one of her father’s hellish desert dimensions, and her tongue was a giant snake trying to suffocate her. Her head was pounding, a sharp ache radiating from the base of her neck up to her temples. Even her eyes could barely focus, her vision was blurry and the light coming through the front windows exacerbated the stabbing sensation all over her skull as she stumbled towards the common area where Hinata and Neji were, already awake and having breakfast. </p><p> </p><p>Neji heard the commotion and looked up as soon as Ara started approaching them. Well, attempting to. She was flailing her arms and patting the walls to find her way around, as if she couldn’t see or it hurt too much to try. Damn. That bad, huh? She looked horrible, too. She was pasty, her kimono jacket was swaying back and forth from the one arm it was attached to, and there was a huge red mark on her cheek from where she’d slept on her hand. Her lips were so devoid of moisture that they actually glinted in the light. Somehow her hair had escaped relatively unscathed. Probably because she slept like a rock.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, help me, I think I was poisoned!” Her voice was rough, matching the way she looked. </p><p> </p><p>“Technically you aren’t wrong,” Neji pointed out. “But it's just a hangover.” </p><p> </p><p>“A what? I don’t even know-” she was cut off when she tripped while walking down the one single stair step in the entire living space. Neji watched as she flopped, another victim of gravitational forces, and passionately kissed the ground with her face. She groaned and pushed herself up, rubbing the side of her face that had assaulted the floor. “Oof, fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, are you hurt?” Hinata asked, reaching out to try and help. Ara waved her off, scooting forwards onto the cushion closest to her, which was in-between her new housemates.</p><p> </p><p>“Just my pride. And my body. My pride and my body…” she mumbled, reaching for the tea kettle. Neji stopped her before she could destroy the entire tea set and spill the scalding liquid over all of them, and poured a cup for her instead. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re dehydrated, that's all. This is what happens when you drink too much.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well it’s a first for me! I’d rather be chidori’d again than deal with this, I never knew drinking could be so awful. I’ve been living a lie!” </p><p> </p><p>“Just one?” Neji taunted, raising an eyebrow. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean, no, at least seven, but that’s none of your business, you know!” She sipped her tea and pouted. The more fluid she took in, the less earth-shattering her symptoms became. Thank kami. Perhaps these ‘hangovers’ were a curse only mortal bodies endured. The three of them sat quietly for a time, drinking tea and making sparse conversation. Hinata eventually forced Ara to eat a bit of miso soup, not wanting her to faint during the day. Shizune had stopped by while Ara was still sleeping and awkwardly informed them that Ara needed to be back at the training grounds by noon for a re-assessment. </p><p> </p><p>Neji was trying to keep his cool after that. He had finally figured out what <em> really </em> happened the day before. Didn’t like it one fucking bit, but if everyone was just going to move on then he had no choice but to do so as well. He looked over at Ara as she brought a spoonful of miso to her lips. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from her feverish temperature, like a stain on her impossibly smooth skin. For someone who had been stabbed in the chest and then gotten shit-faced, she actually looked quite pretty. Ugh. <em> Feelings </em>. A disease that has plagued mankind since the beginning of time. It often resulted in mistakes, heartbreak, relationships, and life altering decisions. Troublesome, and he refused to fall victim. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The copy-nin lunged forwards with his attack aimed at Ara’s torso, just like the day before. Only this time, there was no intent to kill. She braced herself for the impact, holding the katana horizontally in front of her to block once his fist was within striking distance. As Kakashi’s lightning clashed with her blade, Ara absorbed the force of the impact and reflected it back at him, sending the shinobi flying backwards towards his initial position at the opposite end of the clearing. </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi just barely managed to land on his feet, glancing up at his opponent in surprise as he skidded backwards on the grass. His eyes widened in shock as he watched her magnify his own lighting attack, bolstering it with her chakra. Little did he know that he was witnessing the only jutsu she had ever created herself. They were similar, in that regard. The once-ordinary katana shape-shifted and stretched into a deadly staff of pure electricity. Acting quickly, Kakashi began assaulting her with a barrage of kunai and shuriken while he waited to see what she would do next, hoping he would find some weakness in the barrier. Ara twirled the staff in front of her body, forming an electrical barrier that deflected the onslaught of weaponry. She sprinted towards Kakashi with inhuman speed as his attacks fell to the ground, useless, in her wake. Not that anyone expected otherwise, since he was just buying time. Leaping into the air, Ara aimed her staff at the center of his chest.</p><p> </p><p>Even with his Sharingan, she was moving so quickly that Kakashi had no more than a second to react to what was happening. She might <em> actually </em>kill him; not that he wouldn’t have deserved it. In fact, she would have been doing him a favor. But alas, it was not his time yet, so he couldn’t allow it. This chick was on another level, he’d never seen someone wield chakra quite like she was right now. Chakra blades were no great mystery, but molding pure elemental chakra into a lightsaber was a sight to behold. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time, Kakashi used his only remaining trump card other than the Sennen Goroshi, which would be useless in this situation.</p><p> </p><p>“Kamui!” he yelled, and a spiraling void manifested in front of his eye.</p><p> </p><p>Just as the arc staff would have struck a fatal blow, Kakashi’s form vanished into another dimension and reappeared several metres behind his opponent. Ara dismantled the lightning, reinfusing it with her own chakra. Once again she gripped an ordinary katana in hand, and stood watching the hunched over and panting Kakashi with satisfaction. </p><p> </p><p>“Give up yet, old man?” she taunted. </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi responded by settling back into his defensive stance, hands poised for combat despite the trickle of blood seeping from his left eye. He refused to admit defeat unless Tsunade called the match. And besides, there were definitely more tricks up her sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>Ara grinned maniacally as she activated the Tenseigan, closing her eyes momentarily while she entered her chakra mode. A blue-green cloak of pure chakra enveloped her body while an ethereal kimono materialized in place of her clothing. Six magatama adorned the chest, stretching diagonally from her right shoulder down to her waist, and two long horns sprouted from her temples as the transformation progressed. The cyan chakra billowed as if a gust of wind were blowing upwards from the earth beneath her. Six black orbs appeared behind the crown of her skull, rotating in the air as her body rose off of the ground. Ara met Kakashi’s glare with equal intensity as she gently flicked her wrists and extended her palms outwards, slinging two of the orbs into the ground. Kakashi stumbled backwards, the ground below them starting to shake violently. Large cracks and seams bubbling with magma split the clearing into chunks of crust that she propelled forwards, rippling in a wave of destruction that was headed straight for her opponent.</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade knew then that it was time to intervene, stepping into the clearing and slamming her fist into the ground. She sent a shockwave of equal magnitude outwards to intercept Aratani’s attack, just barely managing to cancel out and redirect its power. Their jutsu clashed with a thunderous clap as the fragmented earth coalesced into a heap of dirt and lava. Tsunade retracted her fist and stepped into the clearing, holding up a hand to Ara. “Enough! I’m calling the match before you kill one another. <em> Again </em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“Damn, I was just getting started,” Ara muttered. The cloak of chakra swiftly dissipated and her feet touched down gracefully as her appearance returned to normal. Adrenaline from the battle subsided and was replaced with guilt as she surveyed the ruined training area and the cooling chunks of lava that steamed and hissed with heat. Ara knew she had nearly gotten carried away and loathed the fact because it reminded her of the tendencies of her father, and of <em> him </em>. Concentrating her chakra, she did her best to force the lava back into the lithosphere and repair the broken up earth. Once the clearing was no longer a literal game of ‘floor is lava’, she warily approached the onlookers, forgetting the katana and leaving it on the ground. </p><p> </p><p>“Lady Tsunade,” Ara bowed, “sorry you had to step-in. And thank you for coming to watch.” </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Ara-san. If I could, I would have let you finish him off, but unfortunately he is still needed. I’m sure you understand now why I can’t have Kakashi as the sole assessor of your capabilities. He’s a pretty sore loser.” </p><p> </p><p>Suppressing the urge to sulk, Kakashi fixed Ara with an impassive gaze. “You’ve proved to be quite formidable in both taijutsu and ninjutsu, although I would still like to see more of your ninjutsu capabilities at some point.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks. And don’t worry, I’m happy to kick your ass whenever you feel the need to scratch that itch.” </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade laughed, earning a glare from the copy-nin. “Well, we’ve come to a consensus and decided to promote you to jonin rank, effective immediately. This is not something we <em> ever </em>do, so do not take the opportunity lightly,” she stated. </p><p> </p><p>“Seriously? You’re making her a Jonin just like that?” Neji scoffed. </p><p> </p><p>“Wow Ara-san, congratulations!” Hinata squealed. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji, I expect you of all people to understand that we are in need of as many capable shinobi as we can get right now,” Tsunade scolded. </p><p> </p><p>“I do understand, however-”</p><p> </p><p>“Tsunade is right,” Kakashi interjected. </p><p> </p><p>Neji closed his mouth, nodding in submission. She deserved the position, but he couldn’t help feeling jealous. It was completely irrational, as they had both probably trained vigorously their whole lives to hone their skills, and thus she was just as deserving as he of the rank. Perhaps she had been right the day before, maybe he did have a ‘fragile ego’. Fucking hell. It was going to eat at him now. He had to grit his teeth to force out his next sentence. For the sake of his job, since he was in front of the Hokage herself. </p><p> </p><p>“I apologize, Ara-san. You are more than worthy of the promotion.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, blackletter.” She smiled innocently at him, as if she hadn’t just called him a goody two shoes.</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi didn’t have the patience to watch a bunch of horny teenagers pretend not to flirt, and pulled a piece of black cloth out from one of the pouches on his vest, handing it over to Ara. Thankfully this stopped both of them from continuing to run their mouths. She examined the headband, noting the silver plate with the same leaf symbol the other shinobi wore on their foreheads. “That is your Hitai-ate. It symbolizes your allegiance and duty to Konohagakure. As a Kunoichi, wearing this means that you now represent the whole of the village, not just yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>This was all she had wanted since the first meeting with these people two-ish days before. Their trust, she’d finally earned it. Happiness saturated every fiber of her being at the prospect of her dreams actually being realized. She could protect them now. They would be her first step on her journey towards salvation. Ara met Tsunade’s eyes as she tied the Hitai-ate around her forehead, securing it with a tight knot at the back. Bowing to her new superiors, she spoke with the utmost conviction. </p><p> </p><p>“I will not disappoint you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hinata's Inner Rage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>HERE LIES the pathetic excuse for character development that Hinata got. The Hyuga heiress turned damsel in distress turned stay-at-home-mom. The story where Hinata lamely achieves the 64 palms in the middle of a war before promptly going back to not being able to hold her own. The story where some STICKS, SOME PIECES OF WOOD, are stronger than the motherfucking Byakugan Princess. The story where said sticks kill off THE hottest character because Kishimoto was afraid of having a powerful woman whose skills went beyond slugs, magic band aids, or slugs(the punching kind). </p><p>NAH BITCH! BOO! I think the fuck not. All of that, every single bit of it, dies starting with this chapter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger warning for references to abuse, torture, and rape.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <b>"To anyone that ever told you you're no good ... they're no better."</b>
  </em>
</p><p>- Hayley Williams</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><strong>Chapter 7: Hinata's Inner Rage</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>The sun shone high in the sky, glinting off of the droplets of sweat running down Ara and Hinata’s faces. Ara stood with her hands on her hips, watching her hunched over and panting student. In the month since Ara’s arrival, the two kunoichi had been training intensely during their time in-between missions. Which was a lot of time, because Ara’s missions tended to end pretty quickly, and Hinata just hadn’t been assigned very many to begin with. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara had been gradually chipping away at Hinata’s walls, desperate to release her resolve from the cage of restraint it had been kept within for so many years. After hearing about how Hiashi appointed Neji to lead their clan in battle rather than his own daughter, the freaking <em> heiress </em>, Ara finally gleaned some understanding as to what Hinata was really trying to suppress. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hinata,” she said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes, Ara-sensei?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“My entire life before coming here, I lived in the prison my abusive father had created for me. I was not allowed outside of the village, and could only talk to the people he personally approved of. If I disobeyed or questioned his will, he would beat me, or torture me. When I hit puberty, he would pimp me out to our guards as punishment.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-chan…” Hinata whispered, unsure of what she could say to comfort her companion.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thinking back to her childhood, Ara recalled the old emotions she had long since moved-forwards with. Back then, they would hit her like a wave of acidic water, threatening to seep through the cracks in her resolve and fill her core with rot. Ara remembered how she felt worthless when her father berated her, powerless when he sealed away her ability to fight back, helpless while he beat her weakened body to the brink of death just so she could regenerate and experience it all over again, dirty when he started showing her off to older men, empty despite being filled and used for weekend entertainment, and broken while she would sob into Kaguya’s embrace, thinking that no one could ever understand the pain she was in. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>One day when she had reached her limit after months of nightmares and panic attacks, she decided to just let herself feel all of it; she stopped fighting back. It was the most excruciating week of her life, but it passed. She survived, and she became stronger because of it. Ara broke through the surface of her ocean of hurt and allowed herself to breathe for the first time since her eighth birthday. That was one year ago, and she had never stopped since. She would <em> never </em> go back to that place. Unbeknownst to those who knew her true identity, the seal she bore now- for the second time- was a constant reminder of everything she had overcome. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It’s okay. I used to pity myself, but then I realized that none of it was my fault. That it wasn’t me who was the problem. Do you know what else I realized?” Ara asked. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hinata shook her head. In a literal flash of lighting speed, Ara’s fist formed into a ball of electricity and she lunged at the training dummy nearest to her, punching a hole through its center and lighting the entire thing on fire. Retracting her fist calmly, Ara turned to face Hinata once more. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I realized that my father is a piece of shit, and that just because he was my sperm donor, that doesn’t mean he has the right to control me. I became powerful in <em> spite </em> of him, not because of him.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata didn’t respond, but Ara could see the first sparks of a flame in her eyes as they both faced their dummies and took up a fighting stance. They resumed practicing the movements for their eight-trigrams, ignoring the smoldering mess that had become Ara’s inanimate opponent. After their tenth cycle through the motions, they activated their Byakugan simultaneously. Ara infused the dummies with some of her chakra, mimicking the pathways and chakra points of a flesh-and-blood opponent.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Eight trigrams, sixteen palms!” They shouted in unison.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara watched from the side as Hinata effortlessly hit the imaginary chakra points. She had come a long way since the beginning of their training sessions- just a few weeks ago this would have been already half-way to the kunoichi’s limit. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Alright Hinata! Show me what you can do!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hai,” she responded. “Eight trigrams, thirty-two palms!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They both increased their pace, and Hinata’s breathing picked up alongside the added effort. But Ara knew she wasn’t at her limit yet, and she was determined to push her past it that day. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Is that all you’ve got? Come on, Hinata!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m trying, Ara-sensei,” she panted. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I know you’re not at your limit. Let it all out!” Ara demanded between hits.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I can’t,” Hinata cried. But despite her words, the speed of her jabs never slowed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That’s bullshit and you know it. You’ll never surpass him if you don’t overcome this, Hinata. Quit </p><p>holding back!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara knew she had struck a nerve, and stopped to observe as something snapped inside of the young kunoichi. A roaring fire ignited her gaze, and in less than a minute the training dummy was on its last legs. Ara took the opportunity to summon a barrage of shadow clones, sending them after Hinata in waves. Her heart swelled with pride as she watched her start to take them down in droves.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Eight trigrams, sixty-four palms!” Hinata shouted.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata's fists became a flurry of deadly punches, moving faster than any ordinary eye would be able to keep track of. Ara found herself creating more and more shadow clones in order to maintain the challenge, sending them in groups of nearly 50 at a time while sweat poured down her face and back from the effort.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hinata, don’t stop now- take back your power!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Screaming with determination, Hinata unleashed her infernal resentment. A stream of curses exploded from the depths of her angst as shadow clones poofed out of existence as quickly as Aratani could create them. Hinata’s chakra began gathering in her fists in the form of blue flames. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fuck you, Otōsan! How dare you belittle me- I’ll never forgive you!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The chakra shrouds covering her fists transformed, taking the shape of two massive lion-heads. Ara stopped her shadow clone assault and stood back to witness the kunoichi’s evolution. In that moment, Hinata was unknowingly creating her own unique jutsu.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At that point Hinata was in an almost manic state of hyper-focused killing intent. She pummeled the last of the shadow clones into puffs of air and rammed the ground with her fists once there was nothing else to murder the shit out of, and the force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing all the way to the edge of the forest and beyond. Her energy spent, Hinata suddenly snapped out of her enlightened state of consciousness, kneeling on the ground in a daze as she fought to control her breathing. Ara walked over and crouched down next to her.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hinata, pick up your head,” she commanded. “Look at what you just did.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata reluctantly pulled her chin out of her chest, taking in the scene before her. The patch of forest that had existed only moments before was now an amalgamated mess of splintered and broken trees. Her volley of destruction had cut a clear path of ruin through the surrounding nature, reaching nearly a kilometer away from their position before it stopped. Thankfully they were training a good 5km outside of the village.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I...I did that?” Hinata whispered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You did that, Hinata. Not me, not Hiashi, not Neji- <em> you </em>,” Ara replied. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I did that,” she repeated, her voice rising in volume. “I did that!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They both stood up and faced one another, and Ara placed her hands on Hinata’s shoulders. The woman had tears in her eyes, but she didn’t cry. The old Hinata would have let them flow and dismissed her achievement, but this was someone new. There was no longer a scared little girl standing in front of Ara; instead there was a powerful, unashamed woman who wasn’t going to take shit from anyone ever again.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“From this day forward, Hinata Hyuga, you are stepping out of the shadows and into the light. Never again will you let a single person- regardless of who the fuck they think they are- tell you that you aren’t good enough,” Ara said.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I am good enough,” Hinata repeated with confidence. “I was <em> always </em> fucking good enough.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In a much-needed twist of fate, Ara was the one to cry first, and the two women embraced as tears streamed down their cheeks. Ara had never witnessed such an incredible blossoming, and to watch a soul such as Hinata’s finally burst out of its shell was a thing the beauty of which could only be experienced once in a lifetime. Everything that had happened to Aratashiki, all of her horrible experiences had garnered her the knowledge she needed to be there for Hinata. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that she had ended up in this village for a reason. Ara still didn’t know what that reason was, and perhaps she never would, but it was there. A profound sense of fulfillment bloomed in her chest alongside the realization that she had been able to provide for Hinata that which Ara herself had so desperately needed as a young girl:</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Someone to believe in her, so that she could believe in herself. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji ambled along the deserted road, taking his precious, sweet time. He was sent out to check on Hinata-sama and Ara-san, who had been gone all day since they left to train. It was the longest stretch of peace and quiet Neji had gotten all month. After spending so much time together in those initial few weeks, he and Ara had grown more accustomed to the other’s presence. Neither of them would ever admit it, but they had even begun to <em> enjoy </em> one another's company. In small doses, of course, which was in part due to the increasingly suffocating sexual tension that existed between the two that was getting really hard to ignore. No pun intended. The idea of eventually becoming ‘friends’ seemed less and less ludicrous with each passing week.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>On the contrary, Ara had already become extremely close with the other kunoichi. They even considered her part of their ‘inner circle’ now. So, it consisted of Aratani, Ino, Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata, the last of which she was practically sisters with at that point. Even the old women of the village had begun to dote on Ara, magnetized by her outspoken personality that often left one feeling like they had whiplash.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A mayfly buzzed dangerously close to Neji’s face, and as he lifted his eyes to swat it away he noticed that the sun was nearly starting to set. Quickening his pace, he jogged the rest of the way to where he could see both of their chakra signatures with his Byakugan.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As Neji approached their location, he struggled to make sense of the scene in front of him. A square kilometer of forest had been destroyed, and two training dummies mutilated beyond repair. Amidst it all stood the tightly-embracing figures of Hinata and Ara as they trembled and violently sobbed in one another's arms. Neji couldn’t make heads or tails of whether or not he was seeing tears, sweat, snot, or all three covering their faces. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the hell happened?” He yelled while running towards them, worried that they had been attacked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara lifted her head from Hinata’s shoulder, sniffling and choking as she attempted to answer.  “Hinata Imouto-chan is a strong, independent woman and she doesn’t need the approval of men!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji stared at them in confusion. “What?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I am worthy! Appreciate my empowerment, Neji nii-san!” Hinata shouted between hiccups.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t even know what that means,” Neji said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This was way above his pay-grade; he had no idea how to handle his own emotions, let alone the emotions of two hormonal women. So, Neji did what his mother would have done, and the only thing he knew to do.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji took a deep breath before reaching out and gently patting each of them on the head.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“There there, tootsie,” he said in the most unnatural and forced tone they had ever heard from anyone, ever, that probably only he could pull off.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Immediately they both stiffened in shock, slowly turning their heads to look up at him. Neji swallowed nervously as they stared at him wide-eyed. He removed his hands and was about to apologize when they exploded with laughter. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the ever-loving fuck was that?!” Hinata wheezed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Neji fucking Hyuga just called me ‘tootsie’!” Ara exclaimed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They were practically screaming at that point, bracing their hands on their knees to keep from collapsing. Neji had turned his back to them, face so hot you could fry an egg on it. He dug his nails into his palms, resisting the urge to run for the hills so he could launch himself off of a cliff. Preferably into a volcano, but he wasn’t going to be picky. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Tenten is having a girl’s get together. She said to be at Barbe-Q in two hours.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji’s voice was barely above a whisper as he began speed-walking back to the village, unsure of whether he wanted to cry or get drunk when he returned. Ara and Hinata eventually calmed down enough to stand up and look at eachother.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Damn, we look like shit!” Ara commented.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah,” Hinata agreed. “What a day…” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They sprinted to catch up with Neji, much to his annoyance, and looped their arms with his so that he was trapped between the pair. Ara and Hinata stared at him as they walked, biting back giggles when he started to blush again. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"Would you two cut it out? You positively <em> reek </em>," he huffed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"Ah, Neji-kun, that's just the smell of our feminine pheromones," Ara taunted in a sultry voice. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"Well if that's the case, consider me a gay man." </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"But Neji nii-san, if you don't cuff Ara-chan then someone else will," Hinata stated. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji coughed, picking up his pace until they struggled to keep up without dragging their feet. He sensed a shift in Hinata, and to him she was acting very strange. Normally she wouldn't even be able to think about the concept of romance without asphyxiating. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Heh, nii-san is feigning ignorance,” Hinata jeered, successfully grating his nerves.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He yanked his arms from their grasp, wondering what kind of drugs Ara had given his cousin. Without giving her the satisfaction of a response, Neji broke out into a sprint, effectively leaving them in the dust. Hinata winked at Ara- who had remained uncharacteristically silent during her teasing- before they both started running as well, following him the rest of the way to the village.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When the women finally made it back to the Hyuga compound, Neji was nowhere to be found, so they decided to bathe in the private hot spring to relax their muscles. They made light chatter while they scrubbed away literal blood sweat and tears, and nearly forgot that they were supposed to be somewhere soon. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shit, we need to go change,” Ara said once she noticed the time. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They wrapped themselves in towels and headed off towards their respective rooms, Ara stopping by the kitchenette sink to hydrate herself. She heard the door to the common area open and spun around to see who it was, coming face-to-face with Neji. Duh, who else would just barge in? She immediately started turning red. Redder than a tomato. Maybe she was actually a tomato and not an Otsutsuki, that would explain why she was so different from the rest of them. Now she was standing in nothing but a towel with Neji Hyuga looking right at her. This was just like the dreams she had, except not, and way more embarrassing. If he was going to see her naked it was going to be on her own terms. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji decided there and then that some evil deity must be out to get him. All he wanted to do was grab the wallet he had forgotten without ending up in any more embarrassing situations. But no, the incident earlier apparently hadn’t been enough, and this had to happen as well. He had thought about seeing her naked plenty of times, but this was just awkward. The towel barely covered her breasts and only just touched the tops of her smooth thighs. If she turned around he would probably be able to see her ass...fuck. He had to stop this train of thought before he pitched a tent in their living room. What was the most unsexy thing he could think about? Hmm. Probably his uncle, naked. Yes. Hiashi and his big, sagging, wrinkly ball sack. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara and Neji just...stood there, awkwardly staring at each other. She noticed his eyes starting to drift downwards towards where the towel only partially covered her chest, causing her to drop her glass of water.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If you don’t stop looking at me....I’ll hit you.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata heard the commotion and popped her head outside of her door. She looked at Neji, then at Ara, then back at Neji. Storming out of her room wearing nothing but a set of more fashionable than functional underwear, which only worsened the situation, Hinata and her raised fist made a beeline straight for Neji. If someone were to walk in right then, they might think some kind of incestuous throuple was living there. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Damn it, Neji-nii, quit looking at her like a piece of dango!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sorry!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji knew there was no talking his way out of that one. He didn’t even try to make an excuse or insult her appearance to try and save face, opting to turn around and walk right back out the door instead. Wallet be damned, he could get Kiba to cover his portion. The dude owed him around 300 Ryo anyways. Kami, what a fucking day. Now he was <em> definitely </em> going to drink.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Girl's Get-together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yeah, its a rewrite of that one episode. With a hint of lime(well, more like lime salt) and a lemon on the horizon.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="b-qt qt_436672">
  <em>
    <strong>"No matter how tough the meat may be, it's going to be tender if you slice it thin enough."</strong>
  </em>
</p><p class="bq_fq_a">- Guy Fieri</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><b>Chapter 8: The Girls Get Together</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Ino, Sakura, and Tenten sat on one side of a large table at Barbe-Q, stomachs audibly growling while they waited for their other two companions to show up. Already they were three minutes late, and Tenten was about to blow a gasket, sipping her sake intently to try and stave off the impending nuclear meltdown. Just before the reactors went critical, Hinata burst through the door with Ara in tow. </p><p> </p><p>The girls gaped at Hinata as the two kunoichi joined the table, settling in across from them and throwing out a casual greeting while they helped themselves to the sake. The source of their disquietude had abandoned her usual conservative get-up and now wore her jacket completely unzipped, exposing the low-cut mesh crop top and black short shorts underneath. They had seen Hinata’s figure before, but never outside of a hot spring. The final, and perhaps most shocking part of the entire outfit, was the dark red lipstick and simple eye makeup she wore. </p><p> </p><p>“Sorry we’re late. I noticed the guys were sitting over there- let me guess, they followed you here? Wouldn’t put it past those perverts,” Hinata laughed. </p><p> </p><p>Ara sniggered at their expressions and was almost tempted to help them out, but decided to let Hinata own her identity instead. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s with those looks? I know you must be shocked that I’m drinking sake in public, but-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, that’s not it,” Ino interrupted. </p><p> </p><p>Hinata raised an eyebrow at her quizzically, waiting for the blonde to elaborate. For a moment she was wondering if they were going to reject her newfound confidence. But instead of judging her, the three girls broke out into huge grins and started squealing excitedly. </p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-chan, this is...I am SO here for this!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never seen you so confident, my heart is going to explode!”</p><p> </p><p>“Took you long enough to let your sparkle shine!”</p><p> </p><p>Hinata blushed in response to their overwhelming support and acceptance, and Ara gave her a gentle nudge to say ‘I told you so’. The conversation flowed naturally after that, and the girls chatted happily while they cooked juicy pieces of meat to share. </p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, the guys were still recovering from what they had just seen. It was hard for them to think so soon after witnessing the secret hotness that the shy girl had been hiding behind the spectacles that no actual person would ever wear. Metaphorically speaking. They looked towards Neji for an explanation, but he was busy downing the rest of the sake and ignoring everyone’s questioning gaze. When the bottle was empty, he promptly called over the waiter to order several more. </p><p> </p><p>“Who the hell was that, and what did she do with Hinata-chan?” Naruto asked. </p><p> </p><p>“That <em> was </em> Hinata-sama,” Neji finally replied. </p><p> </p><p>“What?!”  </p><p> </p><p>"Damn Neji, must be tough living with those two," Kiba jeered. </p><p> </p><p>When Neji refused to provide any further response, the men began openly discussing Hinata's metamorphosis- mostly commenting on her chest- which caused Naruto to turn bright red and tighten his death grip on the table. Once the server returned with more alcohol, he grabbed the first bottle out of Neji’s hands. </p><p> </p><p>“I really need a drink, ‘ttebayo,” he mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Back at the girls table, the topic of the Chunin exams had come up. Sakura and Ino bantered with one another about who was the better opponent, and Hinata sat quietly with a pensive look on her face. </p><p> </p><p>"Hinata-chan, I bet you could kick Neji's ass now!" Tenten exclaimed. </p><p> </p><p>Hinata smiled. "Yeah...I'll never forget how Naruto cheered for me then. Because of him, I was able to do my best."</p><p> </p><p>"He's so unpredictable- who would have imagined that he would become the village hero?" Ino asked, and they all nodded in agreement. </p><p> </p><p>"Naruto is leaving for his secret mission tomorrow," Sakura said. "The Akatsuki are after the jinchuriki, and that means it's our turn to protect him."</p><p> </p><p>Something about Sakura’s revelation tickled at the back of Aratani’s mind. However, thanks to the combination of sake, girl time, and emotional exhaustion, she had moved on from the thought without seeing the massive red flags waving to catch her attention. </p><p> </p><p>"That's right!" Hinata responded, slamming her fist on the table. "From now on, I'm going to protect Naruto-kun. I've got to make my move before he leaves!"</p><p> </p><p>The girls cheered her on, inspired by Hinata's sudden gusto. The conversation soon died down as they each drifted off in thought about the upcoming war while distractedly munching on their dinner. Except for Ara, who was daydreaming about having ranch dressing to go with her meal.</p><p>Hinata eventually broke the silence and began filling everyone in on the events of the day. They all listened intently, gazing at Hinata in awe when Ara told them about her impressive progress and the new jutsu she had created. It was unanimously agreed upon that Hiashi was 100% a crotchety old man- despite being a 46yo DILF- and that the entire village had been wrongly sleeping on Hinata for years. She was a bad ass motherfucker, and was about to grab Konoha by its proverbial nuts. When they got to the part about Neji's disastrous attempt at consoling the two women during their tender moment, Tenten just about pissed her pants laughing. </p><p> </p><p>"Neji called you <em> TOOTSIE </em>?!" She announced to the entire restaurant, nearly falling off of her seat. </p><p> </p><p>Ara smirked when she heard uproarious laughter coming from the guys' table after a beat of silence, peering around the partition to see Neji sulking with his head planted on the table and his arms hanging limply by his sides. She almost felt bad for the guy until she went through her mental checklist of all the reasons she could hold a grudge on him. When she reached item number thirty-two, her attention was pulled back to the table by Hinata who was tapping on her shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>"Ara-chan, they don't believe me about-"</p><p> </p><p>"Was Neji seriously peeping on you?" Sakura interjected, a murderous look on her face.</p><p> </p><p>"Hn."</p><p> </p><p>"Damn, I'm going to knock those perverts into next week. Men are pigs!" </p><p> </p><p>Sakura jumped up and barreled past the partition before anyone could stop her, heading towards where the men sat. Not that they tried very hard to stop her. The girls scooted towards the end of the benches so they could crane their necks and watch the spectacle. The men’s heads turned one by one to look up at Sakura, who was standing there, menacingly. Her face twisted into a strange cross between a smile and a scowl of homicidal rage as she wound up her fist.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sick and tired of you perverted idiots and your one track minds," she started, preparing to strike. "Shannaro!"</p><p> </p><p>Before the ballistic missile made of flesh could make contact with her terrified, would-be victims, the door to the restaurant flew open and a green-clothed arm yanked her back from around the waist. Everyone exchanged concerned glances as they watched a very drunk Tsunade stumble around, pulling Sakura along with her. The Hokage pushed her student down into a seat next to Ino before rounding the table to plop down next to Aratani. Shizune took up a position at the head of the table, apologizing for their intrusion while reaching for a pork jowl and shoving it into her mouth. </p><p> </p><p>"Uwaa, what's going on here?" Tsunade asked. </p><p> </p><p>"Oh, we were just having a girls get-together," Tenten replied. </p><p> </p><p>"Well then, it's a good thing I showed up!"</p><p> </p><p>"But Tsunade-sama, you're not really a girl anymore," Sakura pointed out. She would have to punish the guys some other time.</p><p> </p><p>"What, is it because of my chest?" Tsunade asked, groping her breasts for emphasis. </p><p> </p><p>Hinata and Ara laughed, assuring her that it was not because of her legendary chest. But Tsunade was unphased by the subtle insult, reaching for the sake to pour herself a generous drink.</p><p> </p><p>"So, what's happening? Are you talking about your love lives?" </p><p> </p><p>"No, but since everyone here except for Tenten is single, maybe we should be," Ino sighed. </p><p> </p><p>"Hey, I told you all that Lee and I aren't a couple! We're just friends," Tenten stated defensively. </p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, and I'm an immortal space alien disguised as a human who came to earth in search of my ex best-friend and ended up impulsively sealing away my powers so I could live the normal life my abusive father denied me in retaliation for my mother flinging herself into a black hole after giving birth to me, " Ara commented, making sure to sound sarcastic. </p><p> </p><p>That was...oddly specific, they all thought. But they were too tipsy to care about her weird ramblings, and boy drama was way more important.</p><p> </p><p>"You're not one to talk, Ara-chan!"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Hinata added, "the tension between you and Neji-nii is practically a visible cloud of stinking pheromones. I could see it a kilometer away even without the Byakugan."</p><p> </p><p>Ara playfully slapped Hinata while the rest of the table giggled in agreement. Tsunade, however, was not going to let her off so easily. </p><p> </p><p>"Ara-san, I'm surprised! The way you acted when you got here, I thought you would have killed the brat by now!" Tsunade said, a little too loudly.</p><p> </p><p>"Uh, lady Tsunade, perhaps you should keep your voice-" Shizune tried to intervene while Ara's face started to purple.</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe you are star-crossed lovers! Ahh, how romantic!" Tsunade squealed, resting her chin in her hand with a far-away look in her eyes. </p><p> </p><p>She was dreaming about her dead lover, Dan Kato, and that time they had raw-dogged it behind a tree during a huge battle. Some other shinobi saw them, but they all died so it didn’t matter. It was so hot, paddling up the coochie creek while everyone else was fighting for their lives. <em> Hokage-sama, you’re so big, putting the Akimichi clan to shame! </em> she would say, and he would bust a whole barrel of peanuts up inside her poontang until it was overflowing with his love butter. The dick was so good, Tsunade had never bothered looking for another man; Dan had handed her a one-way ticket to Pound Town and she never wanted to leave. </p><p> </p><p>"It isn't like that, Tsunade-sama," Ara forced out through gritted teeth. </p><p> </p><p>The Hokage smiled mischievously and chuckled, mercifully dropping the subject in favor of the next item on her mind's agenda. Reaching behind her back, she pulled a bunch of pink straws out of thin air- seriously, where was she hiding those?- and thrust them into the other women's faces. </p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to play the Princess Game!”</p><p> </p><p>Shizune ripped the straws out of her hands and yanked her up by the collar of her coat. </p><p> </p><p>“We most <em> certainly </em> are not, Lady Tsunade. We are going back to work!” </p><p> </p><p>She started dragging the older woman towards the door, who grumbled and complained the entire way, only halting her verbal remonstrances to wave goodbye to the bemused table of girls. </p><p> </p><p>“That was...interesting,” Ino finally spoke. </p><p> </p><p>Sakura face-palmed. “I swear she's a great sensei! She just happens to be a heavy drinker as well…”</p><p> </p><p>Ara, whose face was gradually returning to its usual color, breathed out a sigh of relief. What was with everyone’s incessant need to ship her with Neji? Kami, it's almost as if she was in a NejixAratani fanfic or something, and her life was slowly becoming a bad romantic comedy. She wasn’t going to lie and act like she <em> wasn’t </em> incredibly attracted to the bastard, and sure, she teasingly flirted with him every now and then, but that didn’t mean she actually wanted to date him or anything. Ara was a modern, youthful woman; she had no interest in being tied down, at least not for a long time, nor did she feel the need to be. Her destiny was something far greater than being the love interest of a male protagonist. </p><p> </p><p>Tenten yawned, and the kunoichi unanimously decided to call it a night. The guys seemed to have the same idea, loudly making their way outside. Hinata stood up, a look of sheer determination on her face as she gazed down at her hype squad. </p><p> </p><p>“This is it, ladies. I’m going to do it. I’m going to tell Naruto-kun how I feel!”</p><p> </p><p>They all whooped and hollered in encouragement, excitedly following the energized woman out into the night to witness her confession. The men were just standing around arguing with Kiba and Shikamaru, who insisted upon having an after-party. </p><p> </p><p>“C’mon Shikamaru, I’ve gotta be up early tomorrow, you know!” Naruto complained.</p><p> </p><p>“Noon isn’t early, dumbass,” Shikamaru retorted. </p><p> </p><p>The argument was interrupted when Hinata marched up to the group and grabbed Naruto’s shoulder, spinning him around to face her. She faltered for a moment, but ultimately steeled her nerves, and fixed the knuckle-headed ninja with an intense gaze. </p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-chan? What’s with you all of a sudden, you’re acting kind of-”</p><p> </p><p>“Naruto-kun, I’m in love with you!” </p><p> </p><p>All at once, the entire group of shinobi went slack-jawed. Out of everyone, they couldn’t believe that Naruto was the first one of them to receive a confession other than Sasuke. He wasn’t even the hottest, and they had all secretly suspected that it would be Neji since he was the most objectively good-looking among them. Said Hyuga was the only one of them who wasn’t totally blind-sided. He wasn’t stupid, and had been around Hinata long enough to pick up on her feelings. However, he never expected his cousin- who had always acted like a scared deer if Naruto looked at her for more than two seconds- to make such a bold statement in public. <em> In front of their entire friend group </em>. That night, the men gained a whole new level of respect for the confident kunoichi. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you talking about, Hinata?” Naruto stammered.</p><p> </p><p>“Cut it out, Naruto-kun. I know you think we’re going to dump your ass if you stop acting like the class clown, but this whole ‘is mayonnaise an instrument’ facade is getting real old. I know how smart you are, and no boyfriend of mine is going to treat himself with such disrespect!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve always admired how perspicacious you are, Hinata-chan. But you didn’t have to go divulging my insecurities to everyone like that, ‘ttebayo!”</p><p> </p><p>Now everyone, men and women alike, was flabbergasted. That was the most advanced vocabulary that had <em> ever </em> come out of Naruto’s mouth. Most of them didn’t even know what ‘perspicacious’ meant. Shikamaru checked the sky to see if pigs were flying, pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, checked for genjutsu, and then finally conceded to the fact that this was really happening.</p><p> </p><p>“We have a lot to discuss, Naruto-kun. Come on- we’re going back to your place. Ara-chan, Neji-nii, I will see you tomorrow!”  Hinata stated, taking Naruto’s hand and pulling him in the direction of his apartment. </p><p> </p><p>Naruto didn’t resist, and even moved his feet to keep up with Hinata, tightening his grip on her hand. The entire ordeal was oddly romantic, and left the majority of the group feeling kind of heart horny. </p><p> </p><p>“Naruto’s dream of being somebody’s bitch is finally coming true,” Sai quietly commented. </p><p> </p><p>He said it so seriously, too, like he was genuinely having a revelation and not just insulting his teammate.Ara was the only one to hear him, and had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. </p><p> </p><p>Once the initial shock had passed, they all reluctantly said their goodbyes. Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, and Sai headed to Kiba’s place for their lame after-party, which Ino decided to tag along for. The other girls headed home to rest. Ara in particular was feeling bone-tired from the tumultuous day. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> There’s no way any more weirdness can fit itself into this day. If anything else happens I’m going to lose my shit. Maybe that would be a good thing though, because I’m kind of constipated… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her mind wandered off as she thought about different ways she could fit more fiber into her diet, and she was so consumed by the fecal fiasco that she didn’t notice that her and Neji were walking side-by-side. She subconsciously began to make weird noises as she pretty much thought out loud. Neji was amused by her muttering, as he had grown used to the one-sided conversations Ara would have with herself. </p><p> </p><p>“The simple solution is to eat actual food instead of living off of food pills,” he pointed out. “Just saying.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara choked mid-sentence as it dawned on her that she had broadcasted her gastrointestinal issues to not only her teammate, not only someone she shared a bathroom with, but the only person she’d had any hope of getting some sausage from. Other than Kiba, who was way too...<em> Kiba </em>, for her tastes. It would feel like bestiality. </p><p> </p><p>Neji smirked when she started sulking. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t gross me out.” </p><p> </p><p>Her limbs froze with a primal terror when she realized that she might have said all of that out loud. Now he was going to think she was a creep for sure, and she could kiss her pants-off dance-off goodbye. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did I just…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.”</p><p> </p><p>Covering her mouth, Ara found herself wanting to projectile vomit as her dignity left to go buy milk and never returned. They walked the rest of the way to the compound in silence, and Ara was too mortified to even think about trying to flee the situation. Unknown to her, Neji was gloating the entire time, which she might've noticed if she hadn’t been too busy moping to look at him. </p><p> </p><p>When they finally reached their wing of the compound, Ara slid open the front door and wordlessly made her way to her room without removing her eyes from the floor. She was jolted out of her misery when a hand curled around her bicep, and before she could even process what was happening her back was to the wall and Neji’s face was entirely too close to hers. </p><p> </p><p>She slowly lifted her eyes to look up at him, having to crane her neck as well because he was a good head and a half taller than her. He braced his hands on the wall on either side of her, essentially trapping her. Neji stared at her for several moments with an indecipherable look on his face before he started talking. </p><p> </p><p>“I just wanted to…” he paused, glancing down at her chest before meeting her eyes again. “Apologize for earlier.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara wasn’t an idiot or a coward, and if she was reading the room right, then now was the time to try her luck. Besides, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I didn’t mind,” she replied casually. “If there’s something you wanted to see, you could have just asked.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji wasn’t exactly expecting that response, but he absolutely was not going to complain about it. The notion of making Ara squirm, of making her beg for him to fuck her was something he had only dreamed about, and there was no way he was going to pass up that opportunity. But first, he needed to give her a taste of her own medicine; to build up some anticipation. Licking his lips, Neji leaned in closer so that their noses were almost touching. Their proximity excited Ara, and her body became increasingly hot as a familiar warmth spread outwards from her abdomen.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re always teasing me...it's annoying.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that all it is, Neji-kun?” she taunted, using the nickname he hated.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want it to be something else?” he asked. One way or another, he was going to make her ask for it.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be coy,” she responded.</p><p> </p><p>He removed one of his hands from the wall, leaning in to brush her lips with his. Ara was about to lean in to complete the kiss, but he turned his head to the side. She whined in irritation, which was probably a mistake, because all of a sudden a large hand was wrapping itself around her neck. It wasn’t a threatening grip- just a gentle pressure- and his other hand flew to her hip so he could press his body flush with hers. The unexpected display of dominance sent a shiver down her spine, and she clenched her thighs together in frustration. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fucking hell, old faithful down there is going to give me away! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Grinning devilishly, Neji gave her ear a startling lick. “Be careful what you wish for, Aratashiki,” he whispered seductively. </p><p> </p><p>Ara was fed up with his shenanigans, and on top of how incredibly hot her real name sounded coming out of his dirty mouth she was just about ready to jump his bones. She could feel his erection pressing into her upper thigh and shifted to create some friction. He hissed and released his hold on her neck, pushing himself away from her and crossing his arms over his chest. She studied his form, hidden by the stupid vest that she so desperately wanted to rip off of him, while he literally looked down on her pretentiously.</p><p> </p><p>With his broad shoulders and slim waist, Neji was like a yield sign. And Aratani could <em> not </em>. Part of her hated how swept away she was by this smug, good-looking dickwad who made Orochimaru seem like a manic pixie dream girl. She was just a helpless dust bunny, and Neji was a meticulous elderly woman with a wooden broom and a fierce obsession with cleanliness.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously? Can we get naked already?” she groaned.</p><p> </p><p>Neji laughed his glorious laugh, although in this situation it was more grating than appealing.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? We’ve known each other for a month and you’re already willing to be a slut for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara gasped in reaction to his lewd assertion. She should have been totally pissed and offended. Hell, she should have castrated him for calling her that. But her daddy issues bubbled to the surface, and Ara found herself squirming and clenching her thighs to try and relieve some of her arousal. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmph. I had a feeling you’d like that, considering that filthy mouth of yours.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji turned and began briskly walking away towards his bedroom, leaving Ara stunned and quivering with the worst case of blue balls that any sentient being had ever had the displeasure of being cursed with. </p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck! You’re really choosing your hand over me?!” she yelled after him.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what you get for being a brat,” he responded. “You should try and behave better.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara huffed and marched to her room, slamming the door shut and throwing herself onto the bed. She was so mad- and so <em> fucking </em>horny- it took everything in her not to go and rip his stupid head off. How dare he treat her like some submissive pet, and how dare she allow herself to be enticed by the idea?</p><p> </p><p>An internal debate raged in her mind as she tried to figure out whether or not being dominated in bed equated to her putting herself beneath men. She wanted to call him a douche, but she kinda wanted to call him daddy too. Would it be a gross dismissal of feminism to do such a thing? She hadn’t thought about it before. This wasn’t a predicament she had ever imagined being in, and especially not with Neji- she had assumed the guy would end up being painfully vanilla. And boy, was she wrong. If Neji Hyuga was vanilla, then vanilla was water.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No. It would be more degrading to ignore my desires than to give into them. My sexuality isn’t something I should be ashamed of! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Content with the conclusions she had drawn, Ara allowed herself to relax and close her eyes, forgetting any plans she’d made to take care of the turbulent ocean that her vagina had become. Philosophical arguments with her own psyche were a pretty big mood killer, anyways. As the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day washed over her, she quickly drifted off to sleep. A sleep filled with very graphic, exceedingly lewd dreams.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Zetsu Eat World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tea is out of this world. Moon is an enigma. A walking, talking cactus and a couple of sexually frustrated man-babies plan to write their own fan fiction.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you can't taste the tea, have your parents give it a whiff.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>“Epiphanies are never convenient, and often arrive too late.”</em> </strong>
</p><p><br/>― <span class="authorOrTitle">Neal Shusterman, </span>Challenger Deep</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><b>Chapter 9: Zetsu Eat World</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>The following morning, Hinata arrived back at the compound at the exact moment that Aratani’s foot, which was snug inside a bright pink fuzzy sock, dared to cross the threshold of her bedroom door. Freezing, the girls stood for a moment taking in eachother’s appearance. Hinata looked mostly the same, except that now her hair was a bit ruffled and streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks, complementing the rings of smudged eyeliner encircling her tired eyes. </p><p> </p><p>On the other hand, Ara’s black hair was in its usual bun, but the braids she normally wore were now a discombobulated mess with strings of hair sticking out randomly. Said braids had also left red impressions on her right cheek, indicating that she had slept well. An oversized t-shirt hung off of one of her shoulders, and she had not bothered putting on pants because it covered almost to her knees anyways. Besides, she had her trusty pair of deliciously floofy socks to warm and caress her feet like the motherly love she had never gotten to feel. </p><p> </p><p>The only thing the two women had in common, in that moment, was the look of existential dread haunting their gazes.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll put on some tea?” Ara suggested.</p><p> </p><p>“Hai.”</p><p> </p><p>Ten minutes later, Ara was placing down a steaming kettle of Pu-erh tea on the wooden table, along with three cups, because Neji always woke up when he smelled tea. Taking a seat to Hinata’s left so that she was facing the doorway, Ara put her melon in the cushion and filled both of their cups. They simultaneously lifted the small porcelain tea messengers to their dry lips, letting out sighs of contentment as the flavors of the astringent liquid washed over their tongues one by one. </p><p> </p><p>First came the sweetness, and they we’re spinning free as their tethers unwound, numbing the soreness from their training session the day before. Next was the bitterness, a symphony of life, taking them down the only road they’d ever been down. It was followed by a woody essence, and without saying anything the women knew that this land- the Land of Fire- was their land, and the land was made for them. Finally, the palatal massage came to a crescendo with an earthy zest. </p><p> </p><p>Both women were pulled by their silver cords out of body and into the astral realm. The elements of Earth, Wind, and Fire swirled around them, spreading their hair like a peacock's tail behind their heads. A groovy beat filled the cosmos, and trumpets sounded as a heavenly voice sang out. It asked them if they remembered, but they didn’t know what they were supposed to remember. Clouds of rain appeared, but were chased away by the ringing of their hearts in the same key in which their souls were singing. Soon the girls were dancing in the vacuum of space and chasing the stars away with their joyous melody, spinning and twirling around one another. They held hands with their hearts, finally seeing one another, and there was nothing other than sweet sisterly love, love that was here to stay. Blue talk was all they could muster as they telepathically begged the question: </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Say do you remember? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>All too soon the blissful escapade ended, and the women were reconnected with their physical bodies. They slowly opened their eyes, gazing at one another with parted lips and faint breaths in silent agreement. Yes, they thought. Pu-erh was no ordinary tea; it was a spiritual experience. Hinata looked at Ara, her eyes full of understanding, and yet Hinata did not know exactly what it was she was understanding. Neither of them really did, except for maybe Ara, who had a vague sense. But it was not the time or the place, and Ara didn’t need to speak to answer her question.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Later. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Grounding themselves in reality once again, they continued to sip their tea and revel in the peaceful serenity of the early morning. The outside world was quiet, still sleeping, save for the harping of blue birds out in the garden, and a blanket of calm settled in the common area like a thick fog. A fog that was promptly dispelled by the slap of Neji’s bare feet on the wooden floors. </p><p> </p><p>The slayer of solitude approached the table wearing loose shorts and a fitted turtleneck that practically grafted itself into the confines of his muscular torso. He met Ara’s eyes as he sat down across from her, and in that moment she knew that he had worn the offending garment on purpose just to make her feel like a deaf person at a concert. </p><p> </p><p>“You look like hell,” he said to no one in particular. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well you look like an accident,” Hinata quipped. </p><p> </p><p>Neji rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it casually, evidently not having the same profound expedition that women had gone on. Hinata carefully lowered her cup, setting it down on the table. </p><p> </p><p>“So,” she started, “did you two sleep well last night?”</p><p> </p><p>Neji smirked and said nothing while Ara flushed anew with irritation, nearly shattering the delicate china with her tightening grip. Hinata glanced back and forth between the two, raising an eyebrow incredulously. </p><p> </p><p>“Wow, seriously? Not even a kiss?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-sama, it would be ungentlemanly for me to take advantage of Ara-san in our current situation,” Neji replied while maintaining eye contact with the peeved newcomer. “Assuming I was interested.”</p><p> </p><p>It took every ounce of Ara’s self control to stop herself from screeching and launching herself across the table. She fantasized about ripping his eyes out and shoving them down his throat so that he could watch her tear into it.</p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-chan, how did things go with Naruto?” Ara asked, quickly changing the subject. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, first we had to DTR. You know, define the relationship,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>“And…?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s totally in love with me, don’t worry. After that we fucked. Like, a lot. All over his apartment.”</p><p> </p><p>Neji choked on his tea and began coughing violently. Ara couldn’t tell if he wanted to throw up or murder someone, who would likely be Naruto, as he clutched his chest and forcefully clenched his jaw. Whatever the case, she was giggling like mad.</p><p> </p><p>“Kami, Neji, did you forget to take your chill pill this morning?” Hinata scoffed.  </p><p> </p><p>“Hinata-sama,” he seethed, “please don’t say such crass things around me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Give me a break Neji-nii, Kiba told me <em> all </em>about the perverted shit you’re into,” Hinata replied. </p><p> </p><p>If she hadn’t been before, Ara was definitely intrigued now. </p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me for not wanting to hear about how that idiot’s orange-ass was giving my cousin the pipe all over his fucking apartment!” </p><p> </p><p>Hinata just shrugged apologetically. Having expressed his dismay, Neji resigned to his fate, hanging his head and attempting to physically rub the unwelcome imagery out of his eyes while simultaneously plotting Kiba’s murder under his breath. </p><p> </p><p>“Anyways,” Hinata continued, “After that we pretty much cried until I left. Thankfully he had a lot of tissue boxes. And hand lotion, that weirdo. Anyways, Naruto-kun is leaving today and...and I don’t know how long it will be until I see him again.” </p><p> </p><p>She looked down at her lap as sorrow overcame her features, and Ara reached out to give her hand a sympathetic squeeze. Her heart ached for the kunoichi- she couldn’t imagine what it must be like to watch the person she loves quite literally sail off into the sunset without her, not knowing if they would be dead or alive the next time they met</p><p> </p><p>The genuine sorrow in her voice seemed to pull Neji out of his own despair, and he reached out to comfort his cousin as well. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, Hinata-sama. Naruto can handle himself.”</p><p> </p><p>A quick nod was her only response. Downing the rest of her tea, Hinata stood up and placed her hands on her hips. </p><p> </p><p>“Ok, comrades. We’re going to escort Naruto’s team to the port. They’ll be waiting for us at the gates in an hour.” </p><p> </p><p>“We?” The other two responded. </p><p> </p><p>“No, I was talking to the kettle. Of course I meant you guys. Now hurry, we’re leaving in 30 minutes!” </p><p> </p><p>The look on Hinata’s face was a stronger motivator than any mind-controlling jutsu or genjutsu would have been. There would be absolutely <em> no </em> disobedience from either Neji or Ara- not without a punishment worse than death. Nobody knew what the punishment was, because this is all just reading between the lines, but Hinata could figure something out. And it would be dastardly, something that could make even the Chancla seem like being tickled with a feather.</p><p> </p><p>Ara and Neji scurried off to their respective quarters, scrambling to get ready as fast as possible. After all, on-time was late, and 15 minutes early was on-time. Or something like that. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Naruto, Yamato, Aobo, and Gai ran along the path with impressive speed, arms extended behind them as if the universe was too lazy to spend time animating their appendages. Hinata, Neji, and Aratani followed close behind, quietly traversing under the cover of the forest lining the route. They pretended like they were ANBU secret agents, sneakily protecting the Daimyo and waiting to pounce on any threats. Such threats included everything from a K-class end of world scenario to a stray leaf brushing Naruto’s cheek and leaving a small but deadly paper-cut. Well, a leaf cut, but the debilitating pain would be the same. It was extremely important work. </p><p> </p><p>All too soon the road widened, and agents H, N, and A joined their precious loot on the ground. The group stood still as they all took in the picturesque scene before them. Rows of aesthetically pleasing and cozy looking buildings stretched before them in a grid-structure, as if the settlement had been built for the sole purpose of looking great from an aerial point of view. Before them stretched a main street with a bustling and colorful marketplace, with cheery denizens flitting about as if the most powerful drag queen who ever lived hadn’t just declared war on everyone. Like, literally every single person outside of his incel squad, in true boomer fashion. </p><p> </p><p>Kami, Madara Uchiha was the <em> poster child </em> for boomers, and Aratani couldn’t wait to personally ‘ok’ him. Patron of the oldest generation? Check; the guy was ancient. Constantly talking shit about everyone younger than him? Check. Thinking that the hellscape he grew up in made him better than everyone who didn’t watch their brothers and fathers die in battle and who didn’t have to shit in buckets? Double check. Homophobic out of spite for the fact that they didn’t have  the option of taking a bite out of a tasty LG-BLT? Check.</p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t tell you where the concept of boomerism came from if you had asked, but there was no doubt in her mind that the description just fit. Yeah, it fit him like a glove- ironic, because Madara Uchiha fucking <em> loved </em> gloves. That was how Hashirama Senju had gotten him to sign their peace treaty so long ago. It wasn’t something dramatic like the opportunity to save others from the same fate his beloved otouto had suffered, like everyone thought. No, the thing that sealed the deal was a brand new pair of shiny, black, leather gloves, perfectly tailored to fit the Uchiha leader’s hands. Because nothing- <em> nothing </em>- could come between Madara and those baby soft, perfectly manicured hands. Not even the blood of Tobirama Senju was worthy of wetting the delicious, porcelianskin covering his long phalanges. </p><p> </p><p>Beyond the picturesque bazaar, the gang glimpsed the blue twinkle of the sea. Overcome by childish glee, the group ran excitedly through the crowded street, coming to a stop behind the seawall. Sunlight glinted off of the delicate waves, causing the surface of the water to sparkle like one of those glittery, sequined vests- with a weird and slightly western pattern- that somehow made their way into every single thrift store in existence. A flock of seagulls flew overhead, peppering the ground with their pearly white booty juice as they passed, but no one in the group minded. The beauty of “Port Port”, the only port in the Land of Fire- the one in which Minato Namikaze, whose name means ‘wave wind port’ was birthed- was simply enthralling. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s a spring tide,” Ara commented. “Good for sailing.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s the springtime of youth got to do with sailing?” Gai asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I meant the tidal force. You know, that thing the moon does,” Ara replied, thinking he was joking.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone stared at her in confusion, much to Ara’s bewilderment. Humans knew how to sail but they didn’t understand the significance of a moon’s gravitational influence with respect to nautics? Something didn’t add up. But before she could question them, Naruto changed the subject. </p><p> </p><p>“So Captain Yamato, you gonna tell me what this top-secret mission is yet?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ara laughed at the absurdity of the question. Yamato telling him would defeat the purpose of it being ‘top secret’. Once again, humanity surprised her. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, since you’ve got the Nine-tails in you, we are going to the land of waves. It’ll be safer there, easier to hide you and Killer Bee from the Akatsuki,” Yamato casually replied. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait. You’re certain the Akatsuki are after the Kyuubi?” Ara asked, the wheels on the bus that was her brain going round and round. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, they’ve collected all of the tailed beasts so far except for the eight and nine-tails.”</p><p> </p><p>“I fought them off,” Naruto boasted. “There was this weird, half-black and half-white plant looking dude. Called himself Zetsu, I think.”</p><p> </p><p>She nearly choked on the air that she violently sucked in just then, and her limbs began to shake with irritation.</p><p> </p><p>“Did he have round, yellow eyes?” Ara demanded more than she questioned.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto just nodded, wary of the change in her demeanor. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Holy. Shit. On a stick.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>This was unbelievable. It was less comprehensible than the fact that a human named Pain had managed to awaken the Rinnegan. Yeah, she hadn’t forgotten about what she had seen while she dug through their timeline that night. Aratani could hardly breathe, could hardly speak. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms so fiercely that blood trickled and dripped out of her grip, as the puzzle pieces started to fit together. </p><p> </p><p>Stupid. She was so, so stupid! This is why what Sakura said the night before had bothered her. Aratani needed more information. If this was all actually what she thought it might be, then things were about to be the <em> opposite </em> of zoovie here on Earth. A jolt of pain traveled down her spine as she subconsciously strained against her seal. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh kami. Oh fuck. Oh shit. The seal! I have to find my necklace. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Things were not looking good for her. She would have to play her cards very, very carefully from now on. And if she didn’t find her jewelry, she would be in serious danger, and that meant that all of these people- all of these humans she was growing so fond of- were in danger too. For a moment Ara wanted to light herself on fire for not thinking things through that night that she arrived. All it would have cost for her to just start over, to go back and disguise herself from the get-go, was a bit of time weaving and a short coma. But now it was too late. </p><p> </p><p>Turning to face Yamato, Gai, and Aobo, Ara gave them a look of intense dread. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen to me and listen well. You need to get Naruto to the Land of Waves <em> now </em>. Sail as fast as humanly possible. Kidnap and enslave a bunch of water-affinity shinobi if that's what it takes,” she commanded. </p><p> </p><p>“Why, is everything alright Ara-san?” Yamato asked. He was confused as hell, but the seriousness in her tone was already affecting him. As if her words literally were gravity. </p><p> </p><p>“No, and I don’t have time to explain right now. If you truly care about Naruto, about any of the people on this entire continent, you have to trust me,” she responded. “If you don’t, I will beg until you do.” </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t quite understand it, but something in the back of his head was sending off alarm bells. Alarm bells that screamed: <em> this girl knows something you don’t- something important and something very bad- that you need to take seriously. </em>So, Yamato listened, and the team began their journey to the Land of Waves on a somber, anxious note. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>Peachy Keen</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki sat with her legs folded beneath her in front of a large window overlooking the garden. She rested her elbows on the windowsill, a book propped up in front of her face. It was the latest novel in her favorite series- <em> Senshi no Ōjo: </em> <em> Chounyuu. </em>It was about a well-endowed warrior princess who went around the galaxy slaying monsters and de-throning evil dictators. But mostly it was about all the awesome pants she was able to get in.  </p><p> </p><p>Just as she got to a chapter where the main character initiated a steamy- and very slimy- encounter with a Valkyrie while trapped inside the belly of a massive Kaiju, a loud knock broke Aratashiki from her immersive experience. </p><p> </p><p>“What?” She yelled, annoyed by the interruption. </p><p> </p><p>The door opened and she reluctantly turned around to face the intruder, groaning when she saw who it was. </p><p> </p><p>“Kaguya and I are going for a ride if you want to come,” they said. “She’s the one who wanted to invite you, not me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for clarifying, nii-san. And you could have just messaged me.” </p><p> </p><p>“You blocked me. Besides, after what happened the last time, you should understand my reservations. Unless you’ve already forgotten, you smoothbrained-”</p><p> </p><p>“Kami! You’re like a plunger,” she started, “always bringing up old shit!”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever <em> busu </em>, just hurry up or I’ll leave you behind,” he spat. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What an idiot, always making up excuses. We have telepathy, for kami’s sake! He just wanted to piss me off, as usual.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Get the hell out of my room, you farter!”</p><p> </p><p>Seething, Aratashiki threw her book at him and marched over to the door, slamming it behind him as he dramatically clutched his shoulder where the risque projectile made contact. She enjoyed spending time with Kaguya, but lately she had become a third wheel behind her and <em> him </em> . Aratashiki angrily tugged on her boots and nearly fell over due to the aggressive movement. Everything was always about <em> him </em>, you’d think he needed constant drama just to survive. Sure, Tatsu had deposited a massive load of steaming poop directly on top of nii-san’s head, and no, Aratashiki didn’t exactly try to stop her, but the bastard still needed to just let it go! </p><p> </p><p>When she arrived in the hangar, Kaguya was already mounted and ready to go. Naturally, nii-san was ranting and raving at a servant who had <em> dared </em> to insinuate that he should climb onto his Argy unassisted. He didn’t actually need the help, he was just the king of lazy assholes. Probably the only royal title he would ever hold. Aratashiki cackled as she watched her older brother get caught in one of the stirrups, sending him plummeting towards the ground with an unholy screech. </p><p> </p><p>“Kaguya, I really don’t understand why you wanna hang out with him. Besides, he definitely has cooties,” Ara pointed out as if it were common knowledge. </p><p> </p><p>Thanks to her voracious reading, she had become an expert in cootie virology, and nii-san showed all the signs of being <em> highly </em> contagious. The infectious dweeb continued to berate the help, as well as the floor for so rudely hitting him. Gravity itself was offended by his ignorance; it never received due credit. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re in a mood, Aratsuki-chan. What did he do to piss you off this time?” Kaguya asked, giggling in response to the younger girl’s ignorance.</p><p> </p><p>“Who, me? My mood is fantastic. I’m just peachy, you know!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Dickening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Porn. A bit of analysis, a dash of setup, and then porn. Or a lemon, a long and very phallic lemon, if that's what you prefer. Pick your poison.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>“Perfect,” he groaned. “You are perfect.” He sank his teeth into her ass, hard, drawing blood. “And now you wear my mark,” he finished proudly. “Your ass is mine.”</em> </strong>
</p><p>― Hanna Lui, Suck</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><b>Chapter 10: The Dickening</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>As soon as they had returned to the village, Ara marched straight into Tsunade’s office and demanded access to every record they had concerning the Akatsuki, the tailed beasts, and Madara Uchiha. After a brief explanation that conveniently left out Aratani’s full suspicions, Tsunade reluctantly agreed to let her peruse the archives, even assigning Neji to help her. He wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea, but wasn’t going to argue with the Hokage. Besides, he was definitely curious about what had gotten Ara in such a tizzy. Tsunade told them they could read whatever material they needed, but warned them to stay away from any jutsu scrolls in the classified archives because they were all forbidden.</p><p> </p><p>During the week that followed, they fell into a steady routine. Wake up, have tea, kick Neji’s ass in training until noon, eat lunch or be lazy and eat food pills instead, hole up in the library until dinner, sleep, repeat. It was...<em> monotonous </em>, to say the least, and despite the interesting things they were reading about each day they eventually found themselves growing bored. And for Ara, boredom led to daydreaming, and daydreaming led to horniness. </p><p> </p><p>On one such occasion- eight days after Naruto was sent off- Ara found herself seated at a desk while Neji stood with his back to her and sifted through a shelf packed with books, files, and scrolls. He had recently taken to wearing his hair in a higher-than-usual ponytail during their study sessions, and it was driving her stark-raving-mad. With his hair tied on top of his head she could actually see his entire face, and his bone structure was <em> divine </em>. Ara practically drooled as she stared at the exposed nape of his neck.</p><p> </p><p>Neji cursed, breaking her out of her daze. “There’s...nothing here. Nothing of use. Just more books on philosophy and mission reports,” he sighed.</p><p> </p><p><em> Mission reports </em>. No wonder Tsunade was an alcoholic. If Ara had to read one more fucking mission report she was going to raze the archive. Or slaughter everyone inside of the building. Kind of like how Itachi Uchiha massacred the entire Uchiha clan, including his parents right in front of baby Sasuke, at the behest of the Third Hokage. Kami, no wonder that guy was fucked up, which he seemed to be based off of what she had been told about him. At least now Ara knew that her species wasn’t the only one capable of that sort of thing. She had actually learned a huge amount about the different clans, and the village history. But out of all of that information, the only relevant event was the Kyuubi attack during Naruto’s birth, which had to have been Madara.</p><p> </p><p>That day they were in the room they had spent the most time in so far, where all the classified information was kept, including forbidden jutsu. Frankly, neither of them could believe that Tsunade had actually agreed to let them look through such important documents. Neji was a rule follower, and refused to open anything that wasn’t clearly labeled to be containing pertinent information on relative events or persons. Ara, on the other hand, had been enjoying herself after he left. She had skimmed through information about Sasuke first, and then the files of each of the Hokage out of curiosity. Tobirama Senju immediately caught her interest, and she spent the rest of her time reading through any information she could find on the man. Which may or may not have included his jutsu. </p><p> </p><p>On another note, what was the deal with humans having like...no recorded history beyond the past five generations? Barely 500 years. These people were direct descendants of Kaguya and yet there was not a single mention of her anywhere, and her sons weren’t mentioned outside of vague and useless references in various poems. Toneri, that sly dog. He failed to mention the tailed beast tidbit to her, what other information could he have withheld? The bastard could be sitting on top of Kaguya’s corpse and he would still act like that was news to him. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Now there’s an interesting thought. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Toneri hadn’t told her about the Zetsu either. He told her about Akatsuki's existence, but not the part about how one of their members was a literal energy vessel for an Otsutsuki’s will. Said Otsutsuki likely being Kaguya. Its possible he didn't know, but his one and only job as far as she knew was to monitor the earth. Literally one job. Yeah, he was definitely on her shit list now. At this point she was considering going full Itachi on her own clan. It certainly would solve a lot of her problems. Right, problems. The tailed beasts were a problem. According to the single paragraph of history regarding them, Hagoromo had created them by splitting up the Juubi, and then ominously prophesied that they would one day join together again, right before he keeled over.  </p><p> </p><p>The Juubi, or Ten Tails, was a can of worms in and of itself. Ara couldn’t fathom why one would do such a thing, but she wouldn’t put it past Kaguya to use a God Tree to go full animorph on somebody’s ass. So something must have really pissed her off to use the Banbutsu Sōzō for such a purpose. Spirit chakra manipulation was extremely difficult, as it required using the sub natures of Yin and Yang release. </p><p> </p><p>Creation of All Things was even more difficult, because it involved using your Yin chakra to siphon consciousness directly out of the infinite- a feat that required understanding dimensional physics and the nature of reality- which allowed you to then administrate your intended thought forms into real concepts. Because in order to create something out of nothing, you had to use nothing. As in, nothing<em> ness </em> . To top it all off, you had to use Yang chakra to channel your own vitality into your creations to bring them to life. Which, needless to say, required a sizable amount of Yang chakra, and by extension a huge reserve of chakra in the first place. Basically, it was impossible for anyone who hadn’t gleaned the power of a chakra fruit. Or who didn’t happen to be herself or her father. Not even <em> he </em> could, because her mother had somehow known he would be a waste of sentience and had chosen not to pass on her full capabilities. Nozomu passed them to Aratashiki instead. </p><p> </p><p>So if Ara had to guess, Kaguya was either hiding- <em> not likely </em> - or someone put a sock in it for her. <em> Very likely </em>. Unfortunately she squeezed a zetsu past the stick up her ass before she had been tied up Kami knows where, and now it was running amok causing a ruckus. Probably trying to find a way to free her, something that definitely could not happen. Even worse, since Kaguy ate the chakra fruit- which wasn’t even a question to Ara- she had a Rinne Sharingan. A shiny toy that was just as off limits as the Tenseigan to Otsutsuki of her rank. Possession of that eye...Ara didn’t even want to think about all the infuriating things Kaguya could do with it, along with the collection of tailed beasts. Things that would likely result in Earth becoming nothing but another bland space raisin. </p><p> </p><p>In the end, Kaguya was just like the rest of them. Evil, power hungry, despicable beings with no appreciation for any other lifeforms. Long ago they had both dreamed of defeating Junichiro and watching over the universe as benevolent queens, protecting and experiencing all forms of life the galaxies had to offer. But Kaguya tossed that to the side like a bra after a long day, evidently. She should have known better than to believe in someone so close to <em> him </em>. Ara understood now how her mother felt, why she went insane. Their family was bat-shit, and she often wondered if she would succumb to the same fate of subatomic self-immolation. </p><p> </p><p>What she didn’t know was that her little ‘dream’ was more than that- it was her mother’s will, passed on to Aratashiki- and that her father had kept that fact hidden away. Had been aiming to break the remaining piece of Nozomu’s spirit all along, not Aratashiki’s. A psychological zetsu for the daughter who would accomplish what she herself never could.</p><p> </p><p>But despite all of that, Ara didn’t question the immutable urge to protect this planet from the Otsutsuki that now permeated her being. This was now, as the humans would say, her ninja way. If she could keep even one civilization from falling to her people, then it was worth it. </p><p> </p><p><em> That fucking bitch Kaguya! What a colossal mess to clean up. </em> </p><p> </p><p>The immediate solution was pretty clear. She would just have to make sure Kaguya stayed inside whatever the fuck she was trapped in. Otherwise, things were going to get real hairy, and Ara would need to use the full extent of Occam’s razor to shave down that follicle forest. Powers which were currently 'sealed away', thanks to her own rash decisions and pipe-dreams. She should have never lied to them about <em> that </em>. Back at Port Port it finally dawned on her what a colossal mistake it had been to start weaving the web of lies she was likely to drown in. She could lose the trust of humanity because of this. Which was entirely logical once they realized that the very person Aratani had claimed to be looking for had likely been planning a prison riot followed by a murderous coup for all of recent history. All while fucking with their political stability and killing off loved ones, by proxy. Oh, and also that she lied straight to their faces and put on a whole show so gain their trust.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This has got to be the biggest pickle to ever pickle. I’m drowning in pickle juice. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, this was bad. No way this didn’t make her look hella suspicious, and not to mention dangerous. They could attack her and chase her away, because she would flee before hurting anyone here, and then everyone she had come to know and care for could die needlessly unless by some miracle they were able to subdue Kaguya on their own. And if she attacked Kaguya while they were attacking her, there would be heavy collateral damage. A scenario she just couldn’t leave up to chance.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> If they kill her, she could evoke karma. If they lock her up again, she will just break out again. This needs to be final. I have to go there and destroy- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Someone was shaking her shoulders, manhandling her like an over enthusiastic actor in a shake weight ad.</p><p> </p><p>“Aratani!”</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes snapped up; time to meet her shaker. It was Neji, because who else would it be, and he was right up in her face looking very concerned. Not a very sexy situation, but hormones are one hell of an endocrine secretion.</p><p> </p><p>“Hn.” That was all she could muster.</p><p> </p><p>“You stopped breathing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hn.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara stared at his lips as the stress of her predicament and the literal weight of the world rained down on her. Paired with the unbearable sexual tension that had kept her blue balls from the other night very much alive and real, it felt like she was going to collapse into a singularity. Which was theoretically possible in her natural form. He was just so <em> close, </em> and his hands were still on her shoulders, not even trying to move away. He was <em> right there </em>.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> When did he get so close? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She must have been very obviously eye-fucking him, because the corners of his mouth began to twitch. </p><p> </p><p>“Something on your mind, Ara-san?”</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes didn’t move. If they had, she might’ve strangled him, and homicide would definitely kill the mood. Ara leaned in hesitantly, suddenly feeling nervous. What if he wasn’t into it, to her? Maybe he would freak out or get mad, which would be <em> really </em> embarrassing. </p><p> </p><p>Neji knew exactly what she was thinking, and as much as he wanted to push the envelope himself, he wasn’t going to cross that boundary unless she did so first. He didn’t want to do anything rash before she could consent. Seeing her confidence crack and reveal the insecurity beneath was a side of her only he had seen so far. The thought of which drove him crazy, and in a good way. Which seemed creepy only because he wouldn’t admit <em> why </em> that was the case. Whenever she looked at him like this, her strange but beautiful eyes full of desire, it...yeah. It did things to him.</p><p> </p><p>Just when Neji started to lose hope that she would take the next step, pushing them both over the edge and tumbling headfirst into the unknown, Ara finally closed the distance. It was a stiff, uncertain kiss, and she pulled away before he could even react. Neji had to clench his jaw to keep himself from cursing in annoyance. Of all the times for her to lose her usual nerve, why did it have to be now?</p><p> </p><p>Ara could feel herself going from pink to red to white at an alarming rate. She was absolutely, positively, unequivocally mortified. For a moment she even considered flinging herself into the same black hole her mother had disappeared into. Maybe then the pain of her horrifically awkward existence would finally end.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fuck, fuck, fuck, oh my sweet baby Jashin. What in the fuck did I just do? Even as a kissless virgin I never did anything so fucking awful. His balls have probably retracted into his body cavity by now. I’m a literal alien to him, so already not exactly high on the hotness totem pole, and now I’ve gone and kissed him like his mother probably did. Fucking hell, I can’t believe I’ve done this. He’s going to go tell all the guys about this and- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Aratani.” Neji spoke, and it almost sounded like a growl. She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his lavender gaze, one that was much darker than usual, and slightly irritated. “Try that again.”</p><p> </p><p>Her mouth opened slightly in surprise, and it took Ara a moment to comprehend that he had actually told her to kiss him again, which made her think that maybe they were both under a genjutsu. But she couldn’t detect one, so he must have been serious. She wanted to move, but all she could focus on was the hot breath fanning onto her face and the blood rushing in her ears.</p><p> </p><p>Now this was just getting ridiculous, and Neji lost his patience. So, he gave up and did it himself instead of waiting for her to stop overthinking everything. Quickly closing the small gap between them, he pressed his mouth to hers. The kiss was much gentler than Ara anticipated, considering his general hostility and mildly sadistic teasing. His lips were soft and warm against hers, and she found herself relaxing a bit as they began moving, coaxing hers to follow. She sighed contentedly and the rest of the world fell away, as if nothing outside of him existed anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Hardly a minute later they were working in sync, unhurried while they adjusted to the experience of touching like this, gradually finding one another’s rhythm. But the kiss was tender, more tender than either of them preferred. They weren’t looking for a love fest, they were cruising towards sin city. Still, Ara jerked in surprise when he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, gently tugging on the flesh and bringing her further into his mouth. Realizing that she was still sitting as stiff as a corpse, Ara attempted to move her arm but only succeeded in brushing his knee with her hand, and inadvertently breaking an invisible barrier.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as she made contact his hands were sliding down her arms and pressing into her upper back, bringing her closer to him so he could deepen the kiss. Now his lips were moving against hers with considerably more force, force which she returned in kind. Newton’s third law was alive and vibin’ during this make out session. All Ara could think about was his tightening grip on her body and her heart racing once his hands gradually ventured down her sides. Part of her still couldn’t decide if she was dreaming or awake now that they were finally touching like this.</p><p> </p><p>Regaining control over her limbs, Ara lifted her arms and loosely wrapped them around his neck, his hands immediately moving to her sides as she did so. Neji rubbed his thumbs over the ticklish area where her breasts met her rib-cage and bit her lip simultaneously, causing a tiny squeak to sound from the back of her throat. She was so overly sensitive that the touch made her shiver despite the layers of fabric covering her skin. He smiled into the kiss before using Ara’s midsection to shift her closer to the edge of her seat so he could kiss her harder. </p><p> </p><p>Her heartbeat picked up once again when he swiped his tongue across her bottom lip, requesting entrance. Ara opened her mouth for him, moaning softly when she felt his warm tongue slip past her teeth and make contact with her own. The noise she made went right past his ears and straight to his groin. For a brief second he was ready to pounce on her, but Neji decided to practice some self-restraint instead. Without breaking their kiss he grabbed her by the back of her thighs and pulled her onto his lap, parting her legs so that she could straddle him.</p><p> </p><p>Moving her was so easy that Neji became painfully aware of how small she actually was compared to him. He wasn’t short by any means, but he wasn’t significantly above average either. And yet, the size difference was so distracting that he didn’t even care that the wooden chair back was jabbing him beneath his shoulder blades after he scooted them away from the edge of the seat. It was hard to reconcile the sensation of her petite form with the fact that she was a powerful being capable of killing off the entire planet and bending space-time to her will, among other things.</p><p> </p><p>The kiss continued to deepen as their tongues intertwined, fighting for dominance. She didn’t want to intimidate Neji, so Ara let him win. Pressing his body into hers, he slid his hands from the backs of her thighs and onto her ass. She moaned into his mouth when he squeezed lightly, testing the waters. Metaphorically, because he wasn’t going to test her other waters just yet. There was motion in the ocean, though. She kissed him fervently when he started kneading her backside, and she allowed some of her weight to sink down onto his hands. The movement caused her heat to press into the hardening appendage between his own legs. They both gasped from the contact, momentarily breaking their kiss. </p><p> </p><p>Ara tried to grind against him, but he forcefully grabbed her hips to halt her movements, leaning his head back to peer at her expression. Red, swollen lips almost matched the color of the markings on her face as she gazed back at him with half-lidded eyes that were full of need. And then she started pouting, which was...unbearably cute. This girl was going to be his downfall. </p><p> </p><p>“As much as I’d enjoy fucking you on this table, we really need to leave,” he said. </p><p> </p><p>The bluntness of his confession sent a shiver down Ara’s spine, adding to the wetness gathering between her legs. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment, not even the impending existential threat that she needed to deal with later, because the only threat she wanted to deal with right now was the threat of prolonging her dry spell. Alas, she reluctantly agreed and he stood both of them up, placing her on her feet carefully. They packed up their belongings in record time, both grateful that the compound was only a short walk away.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I feel like I’m going to spontaneously combust. No wonder men have to whack off all the time, this has got to be the worst feeling EVER. Thanks vagina, I hate it.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>They probably looked ridiculous as they speed-walked down the street, but ninja running would have been even less conspicuous. It was already past sunset, so not many people were out and about anyways. Neji flung open the door to the compound and immediately checked for Hinata’s shoes, which were mercifully absent. Ara barely had time to kick off her own as he all but dragged her towards his room, sliding the door open and shoving them inside. </p><p> </p><p>He turned around to lock the door but paused with his hand over the snap, turning around to look at Ara who was standing near the futon looking fifty shades of flustered. Neji almost grinned at the sight, but held back so as not to negate the serious nature of the question he needed to ask. She was hugging her sides and watching his hand expectantly, waiting for him to seal them away from everyone else.</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san, look at me.” </p><p> </p><p>Obeying, she met his darkened eyes with her own, swallowing thickly. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you certain about this?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” she replied, confusion evident on her features. </p><p> </p><p>Neji stared at her, trying to discern whether or not she was joking. He had a sinking feeling that she was not, and the way she was looking at him now made him wonder if anyone had ever asked for it before. The likely possibility that the answer was no made his chest feel heavy. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m asking for your consent.” </p><p> </p><p>Realization slowly dawned on her face, instantaneously answering his question. The amount of anger he suddenly felt took him by surprise, and he nearly broke off the lock trying to calm back down. It was something they could discuss later; she was too worked up in other ways for him to bring it up now. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh...okay. Then yes,” she replied. </p><p> </p><p>He asked her one more time just to be clear. “You want to do this and you aren’t going to regret it in the morning?” </p><p> </p><p>“No. I mean yes. Yes, I want to...yeah. The no was for the second half.” </p><p> </p><p>Breathing a sigh of relief, he secured the lock and re-approached her. Neji held her chin and tilted her head up so they were looking into each other’s eyes, and he could see the twinge of apprehension beneath her excited exterior. </p><p> </p><p>“We can stop at any time. I won’t get mad, so just speak up.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>**REMOVED** fade to black ~</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Update as of 7/20/2020</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>In light of recent events in the fanfiction community and the Naruto fandom, I have decided to remove the sections of my story containing explicit sexual activities. I myself am 21 years old, and even though Neji is canonically 'of legal age' at the end of Shippuden(18), I have decided that I do not want to host any explicit content involving teenagers, period, out of solidarity for all of the minors in this fandom - who may presently feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Besides, it just so happens that IRL I am ace, but more importantly am a victim of pedophilia, grooming, and sexual violence. If you were wondering, yes, this is what the majority of my experience with PSTD stems from - which is prominent later on during the story as it becomes more serious.</p><p> </p><p>There is a rampant issue in fandom culture as a whole with blatant or thinly-veiled pedophilia, especially in fanfiction works. In fact, pedophilia is disturbingly common in general, on a global scale. I refuse to condone or support this kind of behavior, and I don't think there is any need to explain why. Just like there is no need for a debate about the subject. Frankly, I'm appalled by the amount of adults in this fandom who are apologizing for or sympathizing with these pedophiles. So, on the off-chance that anything in this scene could potentially encourage, validate, and in turn perpetuate the violent thoughts and actions of these sick fucks, I'm just removing this whole scene. </p><p> </p><p>As an adult, I feel like it is part of my duty - as it is with any other respectable adult in our society - to support the general welfare of the youngest generations/children in my community, in whatever way I can. Thanks to the magic of the internet, that community now extends to this fandom. I don't give a single shit whether or not you think a fictional character 'counts' as a person or not in this context. Real or fictional, these kinds of stories and depictions of sexual violence against minors <em>have an effect on the real world.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>If you're an adult reading this and at any point have felt personally attacked, guilty, uncomfortable, angry/irritated, have thought that it isn't your problem, or have had any other bullshit reaction: take a hard look at yourself. If you're fully aware of all of this and choose to continue to condone it? Get mental help, or go fuck yourself. Either is fine.</strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“That…” he trailed off, and the mini Neji Hyugas in his brain’s main office were running around screaming while hands and papers flew about amid the chaos. “This is fine. This isn’t a problem.”</p><p> </p><p>While she appreciated his effort to stay calm, it really wasn’t necessary because...well, she would just have to tell him since it clearly hadn't occurred to him. Not shocking that a man wasn’t aware of all the creative ways women had come up with to prevent pregnancy. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t plan on, um, I was going to pull out,” he stammered.</p><p> </p><p>“Neji, it’s fine. I’m not going to get pregnant.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you can’t know that, what if-”</p><p> </p><p>Ara cut him off with a sigh, trying not to laugh at his ignorance. “Dude, use your brain. Embrace your kenjataimu,” she said, but it was crystal clear that she was going to have to spell it out to him. So much for post-nut clarity.</p><p> </p><p>"I can bend nature to my will. Hold lightning in my bare hands. I could probably shoot fire out of my ass if I wanted to! Do you really think I have no way of defending against spunk? That some jizz is going to defeat me and my burning hatred for actually being pregnant? It’s just a fantasy. I promise, your swimmers are thoroughly fried. Dead on impact, courtesy of muah.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh. I...hadn’t thought of using chakra like that,” he murmured. "Don't call them swimmers."</p><p> </p><p>"Why not? Would you rather I call it daddy sauce, erectoplasm, penis colada-"</p><p> </p><p>"I get it! Please, my eardrums are going to vomit."</p><p> </p><p>“Anyways, it's an open secret among us kunoichi. Not really discussed because some find it morally ambiguous. On Zaidan the women just take birth control, which is much safer and doesn't require chakra manipulation. Since some women lack the...skill required.” </p><p> </p><p>"What is Zaidan?" </p><p> </p><p>"My home planet, duh."</p><p> </p><p>Right, he just stuck his dick into some wacko alien chick who happened to also be the only woman he’d ever felt a connection with during copulation. But that didn’t mean anything; that's what would tell himself. Neji finally accepted that the notion she put forth was indeed possible and began to relax. He rather admired the ingenuity of it all, a special chakra manipulation technique with the sole purpose of destroying spermatozoa. Or rather, 'penis colada', as she had called it. It was actually sort of funny, even though he had no idea what colada meant. Women were a mystery. </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly aware of their mutual exhaustion, they made a team effort to clean everything up, and then Ara announced she was going to the bathroom to clean herself as well. So they stood by the door, as if waiting for someone to say something, which neither did. They hadn't imagined making it this far and didn't know what to do now that they had. </p><p> </p><p>"K well, goodnight...uh, thanks, err...broski!" Ara squeaked out before making a mad dash for the washroom. </p><p> </p><p>Neji felt weird about it all, especially about being referred to as 'broski'. He wasn't interested in a serious or romantic relationship, but being called such a…strange term was unsettling. Not nearly unsettling as the fact that he cared. The whole thing was pretty awkward, really, so he tried to forget about it and read a book about chakra natures. He had read it over a hundred times, but it’s purpose was of a mind-numbing rather than entertaining nature. He read until his soul begged for release from its tedium, finally falling asleep a few hours before dawn. </p><p> </p><p>As he slept, he dreamt of being consumed within a human crush of bro hugs given by beefy men who were all shouting 'no homo', as if defending their heterosexuality was their primary brodus operandi. Upon closer inspection, he realized that all of the supposed men were actually Naruto’s head attached to the physique of the Raikage. One of them taunted him, calling him the “Hyuga Brotégé” and saying how delicious he would be “roasting over a fire like a juicy Brotisserie chicken”. He was going to be scarred for life if he didn’t escape that brotesque hellscape soon. Mercifully, he would be forced awake by screaming and chaos right before he succumbed to the imminent bropocalypse.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Escalation Protocol</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prophetic dreams. A call to arms. The truth revealed! The plot is marching forward, and soon the army will be too.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong><span class="straight-quote">"</span>It<span class="straight-quote">'</span>s no secret that the best thing about secrets is telling someone else your secret, thereby adding another secret to your secret collection of secrets, secretly.<span class="straight-quote">"</span></strong> </em>
</p><p>-SpongeBob SquarePants</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"><strong>Chapter 11: Escalation Protocol</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Aratashiki pushed herself up off of the ground.  Her limbs were sore, dried streaks of blood from already healed cuts littering her pale skin. A heavy fog hung over her mind, as if her brain cells were over-saturated with melatonin. Puffs of air escaped her lips in ragged, uneven breaths, crystallizing as soon as they made contact with the atmosphere. Something was off. The temperature was undoubtedly high, she could sense the intense vibrations of the molecules in the air, buzzing with an extreme amount of kinetic energy. But...there were too few of them. It was as if the troposphere had been stretched thin, the majority of the particulate matter sucked out of it. There were simply too few molecules to transfer any of the thermal energy to her skin. And thus, if not for her chakra cloak she would have already been hypothermic. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Her eyes gradually focused on her surroundings. The scene around her was pure chaos, there is no other way to describe it. Cyan chakra coated herself and the people near her like a protective blanket, except she struggled to make out who exactly it was that she was cloaking. It was like her brain refused to acknowledge their identities, even while clearly seeing their faces. Eventually she noticed that it was raining. No, this wasn’t rain. It was a torrential downpour, but of what? Something hard but lacking in tensile strength, as it splintered upon impact with the ground.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Wood. The word just appeared in her mind, it was raining wood. Why? She couldn’t make heads or tails of what was happening. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to a hunched over figure on the ground. Someone familiar, someone hurt, their chakra had been dangerously depleted...who was it? Frustrated, she tried to take a step towards them, and found that she was unable to move. Only her eyes were allowed to wander. She watched as the...material continued to pour down, sticking into the dirt if it didn’t shatter. Everyone seemed to be fighting them off, trying not to get hit. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Still watching the individual on the ground, her eyes began to track the trajectory of two much larger stakes of wood in her peripheral field of view, instantaneously calculating their point of impact. Which was the injured person. They were going to die, it would undoubtedly impale them. Rip them apart. She struggled violently against whatever was preventing her movements, but to no avail. The seal on her back was burning white hot, her chakra fighting for release. Release that wasn’t possible, not without her caster, and she had no recollection of who or where they were. All she could do was watch as someone she was certain was a friend met their untimely end.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Time was moving in slow motion, her chest already tightening in anticipation of the impact. It was as if the universe was purposefully stretching out this moment, prolonging it to try and torture her. A second figure appeared in the blink of an eye, positioned behind the crumpled body to block the aerial attack. The coil in her chest tightened, she knew this person too. They stood with their arms thrust out protectively to either side like a shield. A human shield, a shield made of meat that was moments from being skewered.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> At the very last second, a third figure appeared out of nowhere, behind the second and mimicking their stance with a much taller, longer physique. Something flashed in her mind then, some emotion so intense that it nearly fried her neural pathways and obliterated the white matter woven into the connective tissue. In that instance she knew that she cared immensely for the unidentified persons in front of her. Loved ones. Family, but not by blood. Finally, it happened; her worst fear, an inevitable outcome.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> The wooden projectiles hit the target in their path. She watched as it tore through their flesh like it was nothing, piercing their back and exiting through the chest, bringing with it bits and pieces of their destroyed entrails. Blood and tissue covered the sharp points sticking out of their upper body, sliding off and falling onto the ground and the back of the smaller figure like in a shower of gore. Her vocal cords strained ferociously against her paralysis, an unbearable tightness behind her sternum exploding in an agonizing shock wave. Tears were pouring from her bloodshot eyes. She couldn’t think, only able to focus on the ruined person in front of her.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> By some miracle they were still standing, but that didn’t last. They collapsed in a heap, ragged breaths tearing from their lips as their lungs choked around the sticks. The color from their face was nonexistent, drained along with the blood pouring from the wound and gurgling in their throat. The hunched over figure stirred, panic evident in their body language as they frantically attended to their savior, screaming for a medic. But there was no point; the damage was done. Fatal. They didn’t have long. The dying person’s lips were moving, she was desperate to hear their words. Both listeners were sobbing. Loud, anguished, almost inhuman sounds. This couldn’t be real. This wasn’t supposed to happen.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> A final, shaky breath squeezed out of them, and then they were still. Cold, lifeless, a corpse. Reduced from a living being to a pile of meat and bone in less than a minute. An entire existence ended just like, powerful combatant defeated by two sticks of wood like they were nothing. The only identifying feature she could process was a pair of lavender eyes, wide open and sightless, staring up at the sky. The face of death, peering into the infinite nothingness awaiting the arrival of their soul. Aratashiki’s entire body was on fire and in pain, electricity searing every single one of her nerve endings and short-circuiting the entire system until she was numb to it all. There was no sound, no sensation, nothing existed beyond her silent screams echoing mutely within an endless pit of despair and devastation. Dimensional space collapsed into one flat line of melancholia.  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Her neck was barren. It was gone. The overwhelming, crushing reality of the situation made its presence known. A second chance, a way to fix this, but she had lost it. Nothing else did, or ever would matter again. And she was helpless to change that fact. Any window of opportunity to alter or undo these events will have passed by the time she was able to find it. It was too late, she was just like them. She failed.  </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Aratani woke up screaming. Her vision was blurry and her eyes stung horribly. Sweat covered her body, soaking the linens on her futon. Which had been ripped to shreds while she thrashed around in her sleep, trapped in a simultaneously vivid and vague nightmare. She hardly noticed the residual ache, a phantom pain phasing out of her skeleton as she healed from whatever happened in her distress that she didn’t want to think about. Disoriented, she sat up on her hands and knees to try and ground herself while shaking like someone who just inhaled a kilogram of booger sugar. </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t know when it happened, but at some point the door to her room flew open and two very aggressive, battle-ready Byakugan users launched themselves into her room, ready to pounce on the attacker. The invisible, non existent threat that was really just the pink blob situated between her ears. They both looked at the unbroken window, to the decimated futon, and then to Ara who was kneeling like a monk. A traumatized monk who had finally reached Nirvana, only to find out that it was nothing more than a grunge rock band whose career was cut short when the lead singer shot himself in the head. </p><p> </p><p>The room smelled like teen spirit, and by teen spirit she meant body odor, scorched wood, and a faint perfume scent. Kind of like a family barbecue where the guests hadn’t bothered to put on deodorant other than the token pedophilic uncle, who was wearing a suffocating amount of axe body spray in an effort to match his outward appearance with the socially inept middle-school boy inside. So, a pretty typical reunion. </p><p> </p><p>The nightmare was already fading by the time Hinata was beside her, rubbing soothing circles into her back. Neji was trying to find a blanket, since hers was just a shredded heap of fabric now and she was covered in a cold sweat. The small room was thoroughly wrecked. What was left of the walls was a splintered and broken mess of wood littered with long gashes and openings. The floor was scratched up as if a giant cat had used it as a post, the futon unrecognizable. And to top it all off, the little bits of remaining material were still smoldering after being charred and blackened by whatever the hell had happened. </p><p> </p><p>Hinata’s hand movement stuttered in the middle of Ara’s back in sync with all of their eyes landing on the largest hole in the exterior wall. It was raggedly cut, too messy for it to have been from a katana or chakra blade. But that isn’t what drew their attention over there. Just as Ara’s mind caught up with reality, all three pairs of eyes shifted downwards, landing on the white...<em> thing </em>, laying on the floor beneath the opening. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> For the love of Ainsafu. Why can’t I stop humiliating myself for one fucking day? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, is that…” Hinata’s voice faltered as her fingers pressed into her spine, which was slightly protruding, just as intended. </p><p> </p><p>“A spine. That is a spine, laying on the floor,” Ara confirmed. </p><p> </p><p>Yep, there was no doubt about it. She could tell by the shiny, clean bone, every impossibly sharp vertebrate in its rightful place. A deadly weapon, a spinal column could be. But this was new. She hardly ever used that ability because, simply put, it was horrifying and gross. Shamefully disgusting. Well, it was very useful and Ara herself thought it was kind of cool in a twisted way, but others tended to disagree. That’s why she had requested a <em> normal </em> weapon for her spar with Kakashi, since using her duplicated backbone as a conductor for her arc blades probably would have gotten her kicked out. </p><p> </p><p>“What can I say, I was <b>bone</b> to be wild,” she said, for literally no reason. It just came out like an unexpected fart. “...ha. Ha.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck that and a half.”</p><p> </p><p>“That is <em> incredible </em>!”</p><p> </p><p>Hinata and Neji both spoke at the same time, the former leaving her side to go and examine the strange weapon. Ara barely grabbed her ankle in time, because if Hinata had been able to wrap her fingers around it her entire hand would have become a mess of severed tendons. </p><p> </p><p>“Do. NOT. Touch it. It’ll react to your foreign chakra, and then not even Tsunade will be able to unfuck your hand.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hinata! That’s the Shikotsumyaku. Be more careful,” Neji hissed. </p><p> </p><p>Hinata shot him a venomous yet mischievous glare. “Sorry, <b> <em>Sensei</em> </b>, but I’m not going to let you boss me around!”</p><p> </p><p>His mouth pressed into a thin line as he swallowed the bile threatening to wiggle its way out of his esophagus. Ara wordlessly crawled over to her missing anatomy, quickly sliding it back into its rightful place. She shuddered as her skin opened and closed around it like a slimy epidermal goo.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess neither of you slept well, huh,” Hinata continued to tease. </p><p> </p><p>Ara turned around to face the two, biting her cheek. The look on Neji’s face was glorious. She had never seen him so mortified, he looked like he might drop dead as a survival mechanism. Hinata glanced back at Ara, both of their eyes twinkling, and then they both erupted with laughter. Neji just closed his eyes, clenching his jaw to keep his homicidal rage from destroying what little was left of the bedroom. His cousin was relentless, and part of him had known she was going to hear them last night, but actually dealing with the aftermath was excruciating. </p><p> </p><p>“Kami,” Hinata wheezed, “what did you do to her to induce literal night terrors?” </p><p> </p><p>“All I can say is that he owes me a new bra,” Ara gasped out in between guffaws. </p><p> </p><p>At this point both of the women were delirious, genuinely rolling on the floor, and if they had managed to stand up their asses would have fallen off too. All the while Neji was blowing steam out of his ears in response to their immaturity. He couldn’t believe that the people in front of him were actually adults. Their sense of humor was more vulgar than Naruto, Sai, and Kiba’s combined. A monstrous love-child between the three. And the number Ara had done on that room...it honestly looked like Naruto and Sasuke had visited just to have a brawl in the small space. </p><p> </p><p>“Well you owe me new bed sheets, a new futon, a new floor, and a new fucking wall!”</p><p> </p><p>This outburst did not have the intended effect, and Neji knew that if he didn’t walk away then that he might try to kill them. He also knew that doing so would end in his own death, or some worse fate. So he exited the room, leaving them both to grovel in their hysteria. He had never wanted his own place more than he did in that moment, those two were becoming insufferable to live with.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It was a clear and sunny day, and a warm breeze blew through their training area, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees like an ambient soundtrack to the activities of the day. If they hadn’t been scared off, birds would be singing along with nature’s melody. Wildflowers of varying shades of red, yellow, and purple had sprung up seemingly overnight thanks to the past 10 days of near-constant rain, beautifully painting the already idyllic landscape. The area was breathtaking and full of life. But all life comes to an end. They were nearing July, and in a few months the bitterness of winter would set in to strip it all away. An omen of what was to come.</p><p> </p><p>Ara was training with Hinata, helping her master the Revolving Heaven technique. They were working on stabilizing her chakra so that she could expand the radius, and testing her stamina once she was actually deflecting attacks. Ara was in full tenseigan chakra mode and slinging very, very small truth seeking orbs at Hinata's vortex to test its strength. She was half-tempted to use shikotsumyaku against it, since that was one of the few techniques Kaguya excelled in, but decided against it. It was dangerous, even more so than a truth seeking orb, which they would undoubtedly be up against if they ended up fighting the Juubi. Ara had been preparing whoever she could as much as she could- without seeming suspiciously knowledgeable- for the inevitable battle.</p><p> </p><p>Neji and Kiba had accompanied them that day and were pretending to spar on the other side of the field while Akamaru chased crickets and munched on grass. He must have been a cow in a past life. Ara had grown very fond of the canine, who was much more tolerable than his human counterpart. But really the men were just watching Ara and Hinata instead of sparring themselves. Kiba was relentlessly pestering Neji for details about him and Ara’s ‘special training session’ that everyone in their friend group now knew about. Hinata had mistakenly confided in Kiba about what she heard because it was just too juicy to keep to herself, and of course he had told everyone else, even going so far as to trick Ino into using the sensory division’s network to blab about it to Naruto. </p><p> </p><p>Ara didn’t care, but Neji wasn’t one to kiss and tell, and frankly was fed up with Kiba’s proclivity for passing on the intimate details of his life, details of which his cousin knew entirely too much about. Not to mention everyone else who is<em> neither him nor anyone involved </em>. After Neji tore him a new asshole for that, they transitioned to bitching and moaning about the fact that Ara refused to play truth-orb dodge ball with them as well as Hinata. According to her it wasn’t worth the risk of shattering their ‘fragile male egos’, as they would need to be in peak psychological condition for the inevitable. Whatever that meant. They couldn’t tell if it was a prophecy, a threat, or some combination of the two. </p><p> </p><p>The group was taking a leisurely break when some poor genin came running towards them, yelling unintelligibly with a puppy on their heels. Kiba had to restrain Akamaru from running over to it in case he got too rough. Ara immediately blushed when she saw its fluffy little legs trying to keep up, those things were just too fucking cute. Frankly, they were all surprised it had been able to run this far at all. The boy had an urgent message for Ara specifically, and she listened as he wheezed out said message, admiring the hustle he had put forth to deliver it. She couldn’t understand why they hadn’t just contacted her herself via the sensor network, perhaps it was too sensitive to risk psychic interception, on the off chance it was possible. Ara was being summoned to the Headquarters in Kumogakure, so it probably wasn’t something good based off of the direction things had taken lately. </p><p> </p><p>The war was finally escalating, and no one really knew what to expect at this point. Our enemy was Madara and the Akatsuki, but that was less than twenty people. There had to be more, why else would he declare war on thousands of people. Ara still didn’t know exactly what it was that Madara was trying to pull off, or why Zetsu was getting involved with it. Frankly she couldn't discern which one was the mastermind or if they even had the same goal. That bothered her, a lot. She was used to being able to gather whatever information she needed as soon as she needed it, but that wasn’t the case anymore. Sure, it <em> could </em> be, since she had finally found her necklace that she dropped in the woods two months ago. A blessing really, as she stumbled upon it by accident while helping bring back supplies from a broken down merchant. It was an unassuming piece for sure, just a medium-length silver chain and a round-cut obsidian pendant. Such a simple thing on the outside, a stark contrast to its important use.</p><p> </p><p>But using it before the time was right would just open a big ol’ can of worms, and Ara was pretty damn sick of those squirmy things. Anyhow, she had a hunch about the whole Madara and Black Zetsu fiasco. One that sounded far fetched at the moment, but her hunches tended to be right. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The journey to Kumogakure was a long one, and Ara absolutely hated road trips. At least, she felt like she would, seeing as she had never actually been on one. During her week digging through Konoha’s top secret files she had discreetly taken the time to research their forbidden jutsu. Because how could she not? She was just dying to see what humans had come up with. Jutsu was sort of like really difficult music: the components were basic yet bountiful enough that the number of possible combinations was near infinite. Certainly they had come up with fun ideas, ones she would be able to use even in her devolved form. </p><p> </p><p>And boy, oh boy, had they invented some interesting things. It was endearing, really, and the Leaf had been graced by many very talented shinobi. One in particular stood out to her, though: Tobirama Senju, the second Hokage. In fact, he was the only person she actually bothered to research. And she did so <em> extensively. </em> His jutsu displayed an incredibly keen understanding and mastery of space-time manipulation, as well as the metaphysical properties of the universe and his species. The Impure World Reincarnation he’d devised was, simply put, genius, and also told her a lot about human souls which were very different from her own species’. An incredibly dangerous technique in the wrong hands, but it amazed Ara that he was able to learn enough about the human soul and afterlife to be able to utilize it. She was half tempted to try and use it herself just to meet the guy and pick his brain to see just how much he really knew, but decided that would be a terrible idea.</p><p> </p><p>Luckily for her, she would come to know the troublesome burden this jutsu was when actually used. Very, very soon. </p><p> </p><p>Another interesting technique was his Flying Thunder God- Hiraishin- jutsu. What luck to have found it too; it would certainly come in handy later on. Talk about a life hack. Or rather, a space-hack. The journey to Kumo would take a while, which she did not have the patience for. So, she placed one of the formulas on a scroll, and sent it off with a messenger hawk headed for her destination. Those birds were impossibly fast, and could make the journey in just 36 hours. So rather than several weeks, her trip only took a couple of days. It could have taken less time, but she grew impatient waiting for the bird to arrive and activated it early. Nearly broke her legs from the fall, but managed to absorb enough of the impact not to. From there she just had to run the rest of the way. Domo-arigato, Tobirama-sama. If she could, she would go back in time and save him from his premature death. People like him, they were the greatest loss in times of conflict.</p><p> </p><p>So, that was how she ended up in her current situation: sitting next to Lady Tsunade around a large table, surrounded by the kage and the other most important people on the continent. Who were all looking at her and wondering who the fuck she was, and seeming slightly irritated by her unexpected presence. No biggie, it's not like she smelled like sweat and wilderness. Except that she did.</p><p> </p><p>The red-haired Kazekage, Gaara, was the first to speak his mind on the matter. He gave off an angsty vibe that complimented his black eye makeup and gave him a cool emo look that suited the mysterious individual. “Lady Tsunade, pardon my bluntness, but who is she?”</p><p> </p><p>“I am Hoseki Aratani, it is an honor to meet you all,” she replied.</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” he said. Everyone just sat there, waiting for a follow-up. “Why are you here?”</p><p> </p><p>She was starting to sweat. Gaara was very intimidating, in a sort of hot way. He was a hot, scary goth boy. Which was not what she should be thinking about. Thankfully, Tsunade swooped in to save face. “Aratani-san is an important adversary of mine. I believe her knowledge will prove to be invaluable to our strategic efforts.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaara continued to stare at Ara with his icy, punk rock gaze. “Fine.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wow, that was unexpected. Aren’t they curious as to how I have this supposed knowledge? Maybe they just don’t give a shit. Ouch. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Before any further questions could be asked, a Kumo shinobi entered the room and deposited a report on the table. A message from the reconnaissance team led by Anko that had just arrived via a messenger hawk. The hulking, dark-skinned beast of a man who was the Raikage stood up to read it aloud to everyone in his booming voice. His hands were so big that they made the memo, a standard 216x280cm paper, look like it was a teeny gum wrapper or something. Ara was thankful to be sitting opposite him, or else she would have to break her neck to look up at the dude. He was 200cm of pure muscle- weighing half of his height in kilos- compared to her 167cm. Kind of terrifying.</p><p> </p><p>Ara listened intently and with increasing alarm as he read the report aloud. In the mountainous, northernmost region of the land between Takigakure and Otogakure- Mountain’s Graveyard, it was called- they had discovered a large army controlled by the enemy. Said army was being housed underneath Otsutsuki ruins that Ara had only been made aware of two weeks prior. Annoying, and she intended to visit them at some point. However, it appeared the people in the meeting room were all aware of the Otsutsuki clan and the little bit of humanity’s knowledge available about them, which was a good thing. It made her job much easier. Unfortunately, the nature of their discovery would have the opposite effect.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the term “Zetsu army” was thrown out, the puzzle pieces in Ara’s head began to fall into place, and they did so rapidly. She was <em> not </em> a fan of the picture being created. Supposedly these ‘Zetsu’ were a strange white color, and seemed to all be clones. Immediately, she knew what they were. Or at least what she thought they were based off of the description. These things were no Zetsu. No, they had to be Ketsuin- vacant and incredibly moronic beings. Only one thing, one thing that was troublesome and very much forbidden by clan law to do, could have led to those infections being here.</p><p> </p><p>“Advise both nations’ villages  to evacuate,” Gaara was saying when Aratani finally focused back on the conversation. </p><p> </p><p>“According to the infiltration and recon unit, there are 100,000 enemy forces. When moving such a large regiment, only a fraction is likely to come by sea,” Shikamaru’s dad was saying. Otherwise known as Nara Shikaku. “But we’ll be in a real bind if they surround us.”</p><p> </p><p>“Which means the victor will be decided by whoever makes the first move,” some old samurai geezer commented. No shit, sherlock.</p><p> </p><p>“Convene the commando unit immediately. Then have the main battle regiment divided up into companies as well, and have them run through their formations,” A commanded to Samui. Samui was definitely in the top 5 most attractive women Aratani had encountered, ever. </p><p> </p><p>“And make sure that the logistics and medical unit is well supplied with medical ninja tools,” Tsunade added. “Shikaku, go and help the intel unit check their chain of communication.” </p><p> </p><p>“Roger that,” Shikamaru’s dad replied before following Samui out of the conference room. </p><p> </p><p>“Find Ao and the sensory unit, and tell them to hurry up!” the Mizukage said to a very skittish man with unflattering glasses and a strangely high-pitched voice, who swiftly turned-tail and ran.</p><p> </p><p>“Tsuchikage, these were just completed. Here is yours,” Gaara said, holding up a hitai-ate with the Allied Shinobi Forces insignia engraved on the metal forehead protector. It was completely random and unrelated to anything going during the past five minutes.</p><p> </p><p>Ara was positively fuming watching them drabble on about fashion, complete with the Samurai geezer getting all sentimental and declaring his love and support. Such trivial things could wait, how could they be so casual after receiving that intel? She didn’t even notice that her cyan chakra was leaking out and beginning to smolder around her. But apparently everyone else did, because suddenly they all shut up just to stare at her when she talked. Otherwise she would have been ignored. </p><p> </p><p>“Tsukuyomi. Infinite Tsukuyomi,” she stated. No one responded, obviously they didn’t know what she was talking about. “That army, they aren’t actual zetsu. Zetsu are...never mind, there isn’t time. Those things are Ketsuin, vacant beings with no individuality or will of their own.” </p><p> </p><p>“And where are these Ketsuin from?” Gaara interrupted. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m trying to get there you rude emo fucker! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“They are created by a genjutsu, the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It can only be performed using a rinne sharingan, and yes I mean a unique dojutsu that’s a combination of the rinnegan and sharingan, to project the genjutsu onto a sufficiently large celestial body in close orbit to the target planet. In our case, that celestial body would be the moon.”</p><p> </p><p>“What does it do?” Gaara interrupted, <em> again </em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Dammit Gaara, just let the woman speak!” His sister Temari- bless her- scolded, effectively shutting the twat up. Sad, he seemed chill at first. Until he opened his damn mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“The genjutsu traps all living things caught under it in an infinite dreamscape. As to the nature of that dream, it depends on the intention of the caster,” she continued. “The original purpose of the genjutsu was to incapacitate living organisms en mass and siphon away their chakra without resistance. This is done by connecting the roots of a God Tree to the body of each individual under the genjutsu. Over time, all distinguishing features- everything from physical appearance, to personality, intellect, and even sentience- is sucked out of the victims, turning them into the ‘White Zetsu’; the Ketsuin. They can be controlled easily, as they have no will of their own. In this case, they’ve been mobilized for the purpose of war.” </p><p> </p><p>Everyone remained silent for a few minutes, processing the new information. She was pretty sure she heard some muttering about the ‘damned Uchiha’, and she envied their ignorance. The truth was much worse than some Uchiha clan secret. Once again, Gaara was the first to break the silence.</p><p> </p><p>“So these used to be humans?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who could have done this? It would have had to be a prehistoric event. A mass extinction event.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Thanks to your shit record keeping, 99% of your history counts as prehistoric. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” She was trying to remain calm, begging her chakra shroud to recede. </p><p> </p><p>“Why are you so angry right now? Your chakra is leaking. Are you part squid?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> UGH. Why does he have to put it like that? I’m not a motherfucking squid, and I don’t need a chakra diaper. Or maybe I do. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Before she had to answer, Tsunade rescued her for the second time. “Aratani-san, I can tell you have another reason for telling us all of this. If I’m assuming correctly, the rinne sharingan is evolved from the rinnegan, and the only living shinobi who possesses that Dojutsu is Madara Uchiha. Do you believe this is connected to him?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hn. However, I don’t believe Madara Uchiha is who he says he is.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Gaara asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t believe that man with the orange mask is Madara Uchiha. I don’t have proof yet, but I am almost certain. Madara Uchiha is dead, and someone else is using his identity as a disguise. From what I have gathered about your village system’s history, it was founded as a result of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha’s shared dream of world peace. And, to put it lightly, Madara was a very tormented soul. Tormented enough to try and use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to ensure his goal, as he could just trap everyone in a perfect dream-reality, while himself gaining god-like powers.” </p><p> </p><p>“If it isn’t Madara Uchiha, then who? And why are they continuing Madara’s...legacy?” This time Tsunade was asking the question. </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t believe that they are. Whoever it is has an ulterior motive, something to do with the God Tree and the Juubi from which your tailed beasts were created. I believe they are using Madara as a front. A means to an end. I suppose it's even possible that Madara himself was misled at some point. If that’s the case, it could be his spirit working with someone else. But that is definitely not his body, and still begs the question of who would let him possess them.” </p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, she could see the wheels turning in everyone’s brains based off of their expressions. Ara had been very much afraid that they wouldn’t pick up what she was laying down. </p><p> </p><p>“<em> If </em> this is true. Then what is the real goal?” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Probably to free Kaguya, because this is all a scheme propagated by her stupid fucking Zetsu. But I can’t say that without revealing my identity. And I won’t do that without Tsunade’s permission, because it could make the Hidden Leaf look bad for, yanno, harboring an existential threat. What a colossal mess. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I…” she didn’t know what to say. Tsunade placed a hand on her shoulder and met her eyes. She could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. Tsunade was giving her approval. “The primary goal is to release Kaguya Otsutsuki from her prison. I don’t know where that prison is, but I do know that Black Zetsu is a manifestation of her will and is most likely the mastermind behind all of this.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve heard that name. I believe we are all aware of the Kaguya clan, which must be related. Who is Kaguya Otsutsuki?” Gaara was getting suspicious. They all were, aside from Tsunade, of course. She could feel it, and see it in their body language. </p><p> </p><p>“A very dangerous, very pissed off being from a different planet. Theoretically, the Infinite Tsukuyomi can be used to gather chakra into a vessel. Once enough is gathered, Kaguya will be able to use that vessel as a new body, allowing her to kill...everything.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara surely sounded like a lunatic, a nutcase, an escapee from the funny farm. Gaara definitely didn’t believe a word she had just said, and she couldn’t blame him. He also seemed to pick up on her referral to herself as separate from the rest of them, and humanity.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re still wondering how Kaguya is relevant to this,” she laughed nervously. “I have reason to conclude that she is the mother of your Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, and his brother. Therefore, it was probably them who sealed her away in the first place. There is no other candidate besides Kaguya that I am aware of who could have created the Ketsuin and killed off most of your species.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No other entity on Earth has surpassed her supreme bitchiness. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“What you are saying makes logical sense, even if it is kind of insane. However, I have no reason to trust that you aren’t just making shit up. None of us have met you before, and we know you aren’t <em> really </em> from the Leaf. The only identifying feature are those marks on your face, the same ones as the Kaguya clan. All of whom are dead. So if this is all true, then how do you know?” Gaara was glaring at her like she had insulted his eyeliner. “Who are you, really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gaara! Calm down,” Temari hissed. She felt the same way, though.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone was on edge; this must not be usual behavior for him, which was surprising. But no one was disagreeing with what he said. Gaara was just the only one bold enough to say it. They were wary of her now. The Samurai geezer even had his hand on his hip, ready to draw his Katana. What a valiant douchebag. Ara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was a pivotal moment in her relationship and diplomacy with humanity, and whatever followed could be good or bad; there was no way to know for sure. </p><p> </p><p>“My real name is Aratashiki Otsutsuki, and Kaguya is my elder cousin. We grew up together.” </p><p> </p><p>She probably could have phrased that better, it sounded pretty ridiculous. The eerie silence was all she needed as confirmation. Not even Tsunade knew what to say to help her out, not before seeing their reactions. Gaara, a man of many firsts apparently, was the first to laugh. Wait, what? She didn’t think such a person was even capable, and judging by the looks on the group’s faces they didn’t either. Even Temari’s eyes were bugging out of her head in shock. Gaara never lost his composure like this, it seemed like he was on drugs.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re telling me that you’re an alien, and your alien cousin is trying to destroy the earth?” His laughter was loud, and surprisingly smooth compared to his rough voice. Not at all like a hyena or an evil mastermind, which is what she expected. At least no one else seemed to think this was a laughing matter. “Lady Hokage, where did you pick up this hysterical woman?” </p><p> </p><p>That’s it. She’d had enough. </p><p> </p><p>“QUIT LAUGHING YOU GODDAMN PRICK! YOU’RE INSUFFERABLE, YOU KNOW!” She had never screamed so loud at someone, and her chakra was engulfing her like a bush fire in the dry season.</p><p> </p><p>Great. Just great. Why did she have to go and lose her temper? Now everyone else was laughing too, although not so violently. No, wait...everyone except for Gaara. And A, but that was a given. The Kazekage was staring at her wide-eyed, his jaw clamped shut and cheeks blushing pink, while Temari cackled behind him. Figures, no one had ever dared to yell at him before, judging by the look on his face. The only other person ballsy enough to do such a thing was Naruto, if she had to guess. And Temari, but that was different. Aratani probably looked like female, alien Naruto right now in his eyes. Once the laughter started to die down, Gaara blinked a few times, rubbed the back of his hair, and composed himself once more. </p><p> </p><p>“My apologies,” Gaara began, “please excuse my childish behavior. Things haven’t been going well for as long as I can remember. However, am I misguided to doubt you? You look human to me.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I guess I’m just supposed to ignore that dark commentary he threw in there. Talk about baggage. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I have personally seen her celestial form. She is undoubtedly...not human,” Tsunade said, hoping they would at least believe <em> her </em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Gaara eyed her curiously, “if this is just a disguise, then reveal yourself.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara swallowed nervously. It was a valid suggestion, which irritated her, except she couldn’t do that while the seal was there because she had anchored them together. Out of laziness mostly, she honestly didn’t want to constantly worry about accidentally morphing out of her current form. This was not how she had expected her day to go, like at all. It was <em> not </em> part of her plan, which didn’t really exist in the first place, but if it had this would not be in it. She wracked her brain, staring at her hands as she tried to think of what to do. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> My hands! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, take your time,” Gaara said sarcastically. </p><p> </p><p>Man, this guy was really out of line. Pretty unprofessional for a Kage. Then again, he appeared to be the same age as her, if not a year or two older. She remained silent under their curious gazes as she began to unwrap the bandages from her arms, placing them on the table once she was done. Ara held up her hands so that her palms were visible to the group. She opened the lids so that her big, beautiful eyeballs were on full display.  </p><p> </p><p>“It can’t be! Is that…?” The old Tsuchikage, tiny as he was apart from the honker on his face, had climbed onto his seat and was leaning across the table, squinting his eyes to get a closer look. </p><p> </p><p>“Yep. Two rinne sharingans, alive and in the flesh. <em> My flesh. </em>” She pointed to the eyes on her face. “Certainly you noticed my strange eyes. It’s the Tenseigan. A dojutsu that you’ve never heard of, because only an Otsutsuki can evolve them. Which brings me to my next attraction,” she shifted her eyes into her golden, pupil-less Byakugan. “Look familiar? That’s because it’s the Byakugan, but you’ve probably never seen one this color because it doesn’t run in Kaguya’s family and thus would not have been passed down to the Hyuga.” </p><p> </p><p>Other than Tsunade, everyone else seemed to be cycling through the five stages of grief as they grappled with the redefinition of their very existence. When Ara made the mistake of making eye contact with Gaara, she noticed that he wore the opposite look than what had been on Neji’s face when they first met. Not disgusted, not afraid, no. He looked slightly...aroused. </p><p> </p><p>“Three dojutsu...how intriguing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Four,” she corrected. “But I can’t use it right now.” </p><p> </p><p>“Fine. We can get acquainted some other time.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaara was smirking at her, the goth bastard. Impressive considering that he had no eyebrows. What an edgelord. And, he was being subtle enough that the others wouldn’t notice his...whatever he was insinuating that she did <em> not </em> want to think about. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What. The. Fuck. What’s with this freak? That’s the absolute last reaction I expect in response to my hand eyeballs, especially from mister incredible over there. What a pervert! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She glared at him, hoping that he could hear her inner voice screaming bloody murder at him. Infuriatingly, his expression became completely neutral. They needed to stop pussyfooting around, so she cleared her throat to get their attention for what she was going to say instead of continuing to oogle her. For emphasis, she stood up as tall and straight as possible- which was not very much- and put her hands on the table. This was getting real, and it was time to put on her game face.</p><p> </p><p>“Kaguya is a threat, and the reason I came to your planet. With or without you, I plan to eliminate her. If I face her alone, I...I can’t guarantee that you won’t be caught in the crossfire. It will be catastrophic. So I’m offering my help, should you choose to accept it.”</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade interjected. “Look, I can vouch for her benevolence. She was prepared to let Kakashi Hatake murder her to prove that her intentions were true. And he nearly did. Kakashi and I trust her completely, and she has never given us a reason to stop feeling that way.” Her words and the seriousness of her tone seemed to have an effect on the group. Kakashi was a very well-respected shinobi, at least among the individuals in the room.</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you even care?” A asked, his pensive gaze a stark contrast to the hulk smash vibe his outward appearance gave off.</p><p> </p><p>“I know you’re struggling, and I can tell you that everything will get worse forever if you don’t accept my help. I was put on this earth for a reason, but I’m going to do whatever the fuck I want. And what I want is to help you put an end to Kaguya and her stupid Zetsu’s miserable existence.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Aratashiki loved to talk to people, she really did. But after spending the past eight hours explaining herself, answering questions, having her seal poked and prodded by a fuinjutsu specialist, and then deciding they would save strategizing about the actually important issue for the following day, she was finally free of that damn conference room. A minute longer and it would have been her coffin. She was now standing on a balcony that she had found after wandering through the building. Holding the railing for balance, she tilted her head upwards to stare at the sky. The night sky was full of glittering stars, so clear that you could even see streaks of color from the electrical activity in the ionosphere. It reminded her of home. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No. Ordinance isn’t my home, it never was. I don’t have a home.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Man, I’m just a cosmic hobo,” she muttered to herself.</p><p> </p><p>Thinking about the village and all the friends she had made, Ara began to think that maybe this place <em> could </em> be her home someday. She...missed them all. It was a new sensation, because she had never really had anyone close enough to miss. Except maybe for Kaguya, but she couldn’t remember feeling like this when her cousin left. She reached into her leg pouch and pulled out the note the girls had given her when she left. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Don’t read it until you get there!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yeah, and don’t miss us too much- we’ll see you there soon!”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Now she wondered what they could have possibly written on it. Unfolding the small letter, she scanned her eyes over the page. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> We’re sending good vibes your way. They’re coming. There’s nothing you can do to stop them. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> P.S. We still need to talk about the stuff you did. you can’t hide forever! - Sakura </em>
</p><p>
  <em> P.S.S. Neji is stuff. - Ino </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Well, that was probably the most threatening way Ara had ever been cheered up. Not that she had a lot of instances to compare it to. Man, now she was just lonely <em> and </em> bored. She even missed Neji. They hadn’t ever gotten the chance to talk about what happened. It didn’t seem like a one time thing in the moment but who knows. Not that she was like, catching feels. Ara didn’t do that, and she had a feeling he didn’t either. </p><p> </p><p>Actually, they never talked about normal stuff anyways. She had tried, but he was always so closed off. It was really annoying. Everything she had learned about Neji was through his mannerisms and interactions, never from him directly telling her about himself. Ara cared for him deeply as a friend, but despite that she barely knew him at all. Not his favorite color, food, past time, battle, memories, none of that stuff. Was his mother even alive? All she knew for a fact was his birthday. It was tomorrow. July 3rd.</p><p> </p><p>“How irritating! He’s perfectly fine busting a nut inside of me but he can’t tell me what his favorite color is?” She whisper-yelled to herself, gripping the railing tighter.</p><p> </p><p>“Mine is orange,” someone said from behind her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Kami. That voice! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Pardon?” </p><p> </p><p>Ara whirled around to face the intruder. Just as she suspected, it was the flame-haired emo who somehow had middle-child syndrome despite being the youngest. This was the first time she had seen him out of a chair, and she noticed that he wasn’t as tall compared to her as most of the people she met were. In fact he was uncharacteristically short, as the average height for shinobi seemed to be around 180cm. The moonlight gave his skin a soft and eerie glow, almost the same shade as her own, and his blue-green eyes were pupil-less as well. She hadn’t encountered human eyes such as his that didn’t belong to a Byakugan user. His features were normal. Handsome, even. It was just the lack of eyebrows, untamed hair, and thick eyeliner that gave him an odd appearance. For a human, at least. On her home planet he would be considered quite attractive due to the same features that alienated him here on Earth. Ah, the irony.</p><p> </p><p>He was staring at her with that simultaneously intense and completely blank look that shouldn’t even be possible. “You said they didn’t tell you their favorite color. Mine is orange. Who are they, your lover or just a sexual partner?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why were you eavesdropping?”</p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t. You were talking out loud and I just happened to hear. Are you pregnant?” </p><p> </p><p>“WHAT? NO! It’s none of your business! And how dare you even ask me that? And why aren’t you more ashamed of yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was just speculating based off of the provided context and your volatile emotions.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well do me a favor and speculate somewhere else!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m curious</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want?” She asked, cutting him off. </p><p> </p><p>He just shrugged and joined her by the railing, standing to her right and looking up. Too close for comfort, so she scooted away. Kami, why was her life so awkward? She was very angry. She wanted to repaint the meeting room with his blood. </p><p> </p><p>“You remind me a lot of Naruto. Personality wise,” he said. “You look nothing alike.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t look like a tall 18 year old man with blonde hair, tan skin, and cat-whisker birthmarks? Wow! They should call you Captain Obvious instead of Lord Kazekage. And you know what I think? I think your personality sucks. You should probably go to the store and get a new one. And some eyebrows, while you’re at it.” </p><p> </p><p>She was starting to calm down a bit after her little rant. He also wasn’t egging her on, which seemed to be helping. Somehow he was talking her down without doing so directly, reading her like a book. The audacity!</p><p> </p><p>Gaara let out a low chuckle. It was mostly just air blowing out of his nose, though. “You’re a lot smarter than Naruto, however.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh? An actual compliment? Color me surprised. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Naruto isn’t completely stupid, you know. Not all the time. He’s just….Naruto.” </p><p> </p><p>“You even have a similar verbal tick,” he commented, a small smile forming on his lips. “<em> You know. </em>”</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t know what Gaara wanted from her, so she didn’t respond. They stood there in silence for a while, just watching. Watching the moon move across the sky, watching the activity in the temporary camps that had been set up in the valley below beginning to slow down as people turned in for the night. Shinobi from all over the continent had traveled to Kumo so that the alliance could begin organizing and mobilizing their forces. They would sleep from when they were dismissed until they were woken up, spend the day training and completing tasks, and then repeat the same routine. Every day washed out by the same grayscale hue, devoid of the color life was supposed to be full of. Waiting for the call, the signal for them to go to the battle field. Waiting for death to call.</p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki had never been in a war before. The fighting hadn’t even started and she was already devastated by it, the mere presence of such a conflict. Ara had fought battles. In the time she spent finding Earth she encountered foes. Two Otsutsuki errand boys, one hostile from another dimension, and one thing that was from somewhere else. She had only killed three of them. It was only due to her rigorous training that she had escaped the last one at all. There was nothing else to do whenever she was trapped in one of those dimensions, so she had spent the time training. Mastering her chakra manipulation and her Dojutsu, eventually discovering the fourth. Funny how you can possess such a thing and not know for so long. Regardless of the seal. Alas, that dojutsu was the catalyst to her eventual escape. It allowed her to see and explore until she finally found it. The precious resource contained within her pendant.</p><p> </p><p>In a way, she was just like the people down there. For years, she too had risen and performed her routine day in and day out for an eternity, waiting until she would be pulled out and deposited back into the timestream to experience whatever fresh hell Junichiro had come up with. It takes an incredible amount of fortitude to live through such a thing and escape with even a small portion of your sanity. To resist the darkness. Perhaps she had been at war her entire life. And now she knew what she was fighting for.</p><p> </p><p>Ara was tired of thinking, so she actually examined the village architecture for the first time and noticed how strange it was. She had never seen anything like it. The buildings were cylindrical structures built directly inside of the rounded mountains covering the region. Like spearheads blunted after years of fighting for survival, on the hunt or on the battlefield. There were a lot of windows, too, circumventing the structures. It was very unique. </p><p> </p><p>“My mother died giving birth to me. It was because they sealed the Ichibi in me while she was still pregnant. I tore my way out. She held me while she took her last breath,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Where the hell did that come from?! And why is his voice so monotone? What a weirdo… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Not knowing what to say to that, she just blurted the first relatable thing she could think of. “Mine committed suicide a few hours after I was born. She threw herself into a black hole.”</p><p> </p><p>“I figured something like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” She looked over at him but he was still watching the sky with that same expression. It was like he was intentionally provoking her, trying to get her to do something rash. </p><p> </p><p>“Like I said, you remind me of Naruto.”</p><p> </p><p>Right. She had almost forgotten that Naruto’s parents died after he was born too, sealing the Kyuubi inside of him. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well, I don’t have anything sealed inside of me,” she pointed out. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, he moved his uncannily stoic face to look at her, gaze still unreadable while he stared at her for a little<em> too </em> long. He didn’t move his eyes to scan her face or anything, just peered into hers. Like he was searching for something. </p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” </p><p> </p><p>A chill ran down her spine, and she found herself feeling cold despite the heat from her irritation and the awful, arid atmosphere. What he said was absurd, but for some reason it unsettled her and stuck itself into her brain. Stirred something in the back of her mind, an answer to a question she didn’t even know to ask. Suddenly he turned around and started walking inside. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, wait! You can’t just walk away after saying shit like that you jerk!”</p><p> </p><p>He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Where are you staying?”</p><p> </p><p>“Un…” she trailed off. Ara had no idea where she was supposed to be sleeping. “Honestly, I have no idea.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a spare room.”</p><p> </p><p>“No thank you, I’d rather sleep right here on this balcony than anywhere near your goth tomato-looking ass.”</p><p> </p><p>“My hair is red, not my ass.”</p><p> </p><p>She would have giggled if she wasn’t so exasperated. The day had already drained the life out of her, and now she had to deal with him too. A bed sure did sound nice though, she definitely wouldn’t get any sleep out here. He was standing and holding the door open expectantly when she finally looked back at him. Might as well accept the offer, she didn’t have anything else to lose. </p><p> </p><p>“Fine. But you better not try anything,” she tried to look threatening when she walked past him. It didn’t work.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry. If you were the trophy at the end of my race, I’d walk backwards.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Geez, you don’t have to say it like that!” It definitely hurt her pride. She could dish it, but wasn’t always great at taking it. “Sick burn though,” she conceded. </p><p> </p><p>Just when Ara thought the night couldn’t get any worse, it did. Something that seemed to happen to her far too often. As she was minding her own business and silently following Gaara through the dark building, wouldn’t you know who happened to come walking on by them in the other direction with a porno in his hand? Kakashi lowered his book when he noticed the two of them. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh. Hello, Ara-san.” He looked back and forth between her and Gaara. “Long time no see.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. Not since I kicked your ass, hn.” She responded. </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. He was up to something. “I didn’t realize you were so closely acquainted with Lord Kazekage.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I was just taking her back to my room for the night,” Gaara responded. Monotonously. She could feel herself turning bright pink. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the hell, why would he say it like that? Somebody just kill me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Is that so.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it isn’t!” She whined. “I don’t have a place to stay, it's nothing like that he’s just making it weird!”  No one was backing her up. Gaara just stood there, outwardly stoic but clearly enjoying this. Maybe he really is a sadist. Great, she’s stuck in a hallway between a pervert and a sadist. Every woman’s dream. What’s worse is that she actually fucking blushed, and was now reflexively patting her cheeks like a toddler. She had always known, deep down, that she might be a Tsundere. It seems that her fears were coming true.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t want to keep you two waiting any longer. Glad to hear you are...<em> agreeing on stuff </em>.” Kakashi smiled with his eyes. An evil, cheeky smile. “Sleep well, Ara-san.”</p><p> </p><p>Agreeing on stuff. Kami, that had to be the worst euphemism ever, she’d almost forgotten what it meant. Almost. The nerve of that smug asshole. She was going to kill him one day. “Do you ever listen?” She shouted as he walked away. </p><p> </p><p>“No, I try not to. I find it distracting,” he responded before disappearing out of sight. </p><p> </p><p>“Well at least he’s honest,” she muttered. Gaara chuckled beside her and started walking again. The noise was so quiet she almost missed it. “The same goes for you, you know! Why did you say that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did I say something wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t play dumb, <em> Gaa-ra </em>,” she said. It was definitely a risk to address the Kazekage so casually, but fuck it. He didn’t deserve such formalities from her. </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t prefer being called by my given name,” he said, without a hint of irritation. “But I will make an exception for you.” </p><p> </p><p>Great, that backfired. She might as well have thrown an explosive tag at herself. This guy was so hard to read, he was even more confusing than Neji. Ara had no idea what his intentions were. At the beginning of the day he wanted to kill her, then he lowkey flirted after seeing her extra pair of eyes, then he was telling her about his mother and playing armchair psychologist, then he rejected her, and as the icing on the cake he <em> played along </em> when Kakashi implied that they were on their way to have sex in his apartment. But you can’t have a nice cake without a cake topper, so now he was allowing her special permission to greet him casually.</p><p> </p><p>“What should I call you: Aratani Hoseki, Aratashiki Otsutsuki, -san, -sama…?” He asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hn. Call me whatever you can come up with, just don’t add ‘hime’ or anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see I was right to suspect that you are royalty then.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara didn’t want to know why or how he came to that conclusion. Seriously, what a nonsensical person! She was so busy trying to decipher the enigma that is Gaara of the Sand that she didn’t notice they had reached what she assumed to be his quarters. He unlocked the door and pushed it inside, holding it open for her so she could enter first. </p><p> </p><p>“After you, Arata-san.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>A new day, a new chance to sit in a conference room until sunset. As promised, everyone had reconvened at seven in the morning to discuss what, if any, changes needed to be made to their strategy. Thankfully Ara had managed to get some sleep the night before. Gaara had, indeed, been telling the truth when he said he had a spare room. A nice, normal one that even had its own bathroom, and was far away from him, on the opposite side of the...suite? Apartment? What had he called it...something about condoms, that’s all she remembered. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Condominium! I think. Odd name. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was unexpected, but not at all unwelcome, and true to his word he did not try anything. Unfortunately, ‘not trying anything’ included not bothering to wake her up. So she slept like a baby until nearly eight o’clock when her subconscious began to suspect that it had been asleep for too long. Which it had. And thus concludes the tale of how she ended up barging in late to a war council meeting with a gnarly case of ‘I went to bed with wet hair and then had weird dreams’ hair and no shoes. </p><p> </p><p>Ara burst through the door and began apologizing profusely, squeezing her eyes shut and performing a deep bow for emphasis. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that she saw her feet. Her bare, naked, pasty white feet. At least she had been able to shower, so they didn’t stink. Then she noticed the awkwardly creased hair falling around her face. Clenching her fists, she stood up very slowly and walked over to take her seat, attempting to pat down her hair on the way. Mei Terumi- that gorgeous, fabulous <em> bitch </em>- was judging her so hard that she might as well have been roasting her outloud. </p><p> </p><p>“I apologize, I overslept.” She gave Gaara a pointed look, and he pretended not to notice.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the obvious confusion of the entire group, they swiftly moved on and got down to business. About time. Ara listened as they went over their current strategy and discussed their most immediate plan of attack: in a few days, the First Division would be sent to the western coast of the Land of Lighting to wait for the portion of the Zetsu Army traveling by sea to arrive, hopefully being able to finish off that chunk of their forces. To Ara, they seemed to have a solid plan in place. Their enemy had no idea of her presence or existence, which was good- they had no reason to suspect that she knew what their goal was. </p><p> </p><p>“Here is what I think: we stick with the plan. Protect Naruto and B at all costs. If we play along with the enemy for now, it will give us an opportunity to launch a surprise counterattack when they go to make their final move,” she said. </p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” Gaara responded. “Until we can be certain of their end goal, we should stick to keeping the enemy at bay and launching a full frontal attack. If we back off they may suspect something.” </p><p> </p><p>“That just leaves one other issue,” A, who had been relatively quiet, spoke up and addressed Ara directly. “Just what are we going to do with <em> you </em>? Even if you’re an ally, we need to monitor your whereabouts. You’re an important asset just like Naruto or B, and just as unpredictable in my opinion. But it would be foolish to lock you away with them since you aren’t a jinchuuriki. We can actually use you in battle. So, how are we going to manage her?”</p><p> </p><p>“I happen to agree,” Tsunade added.</p><p> </p><p>“It was my understanding that I was not going to be managed,” Ara responded, suddenly feeling like a kid who had their balloon taken away. A was being very reasonable, but she still had to rebel a bit. </p><p> </p><p>“What gave you that idea?” A asked. </p><p> </p><p>“.....it was my understanding.”</p><p> </p><p>A did not look amused. Tough crowd. Then again, he had probably never been amused in his life. So, Ara sat and pouted while they tried to decide which division to send her off with. In reality, her adrenal glands were already working themselves up at the prospect of heading into battle. She hadn’t had a good fight since...well, since before her arrival. When she fought whatever the hell that thing was. At least it was far away now. Shudder. Her growing excitement was mildly concerning, though. She would have to be careful not to get carried away. </p><p> </p><p>“I would like to appoint her as my second in command. As Regimental Captain,” Gaara suggested. </p><p> </p><p>What followed was nearly two hours of arguing, during which Ara could do nothing but sit back and watch. Thanks for nothing, Lord Kazekage. The council eventually decided, despite her objections, that she would indeed be named the Regimental Captain behind Gaara, the Regimental Commander. So yeah, literally the second in command of the entire fucking army, which was a hilariously bad decision in her opinion. It was the only thing she had managed to agree with the Samurai Geezer about. Apparently his name was Mifune, but in her mind that was just a cover up for his real name which was probably muffin. All conjecture based off of his dull personality and the fact that as a Samurai he was basically just a really boring version of a shinobi, and wished he was a cupcake. </p><p> </p><p>The plan was to move her around as needed whenever a front required assistance, since she was effectively as powerful- more so, in truth- as a Jinchuriki and did not have the associated risk of being controlled by the enemy. It was a win-win for them. It was still shocking to her that they had given her such a high rank, she definitely had not wanted such a thing. Just because she had personally taken on responsibility for their planet, that didn’t mean she wanted the added pressure of the public eye! But nonetheless she relented to their demands, and thus began the series of events that would alter the timeline forever. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. We Shall Fight on the Beaches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>New clothes and a message to the public from our hosts, no-titty goth BF and E.T.'s hot cousin.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>“As human beings, we're born believing that we are the apex of creation, that we are invincible, that no problem exists that we cannot solve. But we inevitably die with all our beliefs broken.”</strong>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>― <span class="authorOrTitle">Shaun David Hutchinson, </span><span>We Are the Ants</span></p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Chapter 12: We Shall Fight on the Beaches</strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Two weeks after her arrival in Kumogakure, the last of their shinobi had arrived, been sorted, and were assigned to the five separate divisions based on their skill techniques. As expected when amassing people from nations that retained various grudges and hostilities towards one another, there had already been some fairly disruptive infighting within several of the divisions. Nothing too serious, but problematic enough that the Kage decided the commanders would hold a massive pep rally before everyone departed to try and boost morale. Aka, an excuse to lecture everyone at once. Ara had personally volunteered to tear them a new one, but obviously that was stonewalled. Her authoritative position was mostly superficial; she was appointed as such for the purposes of convenient movement and easy monitoring, because the council was made up of rational people who didn't fully trust her yet. So, the Kazekage himself would be pumping up the troops, and she was honestly having a hard time imagining him showing enough conviction to be able to influence tens of thousands of people. </p><p> </p><p>Granted, the man had been full of surprises thus far. She ended up continuing to stay in his spare room because, to be frank, she probably wasn’t going to get a better deal anywhere else. On one hand, she could have asked someone for a place to stay, but she was already causing a lot of disruption and felt like she had asked for so much already. Not only had she asked for them to have faith in her knowledge, she had also indirectly asked them to put the lives of every member of their species into her hands by not treating her as a threat. Additionally, she hadn’t brought any Ryo with her, so she couldn’t even stay in an inn. A bad move on her part, but she just didn’t think to. The past few months were the first time in her life she had ever used currency. It wasn’t yet ingrained within her to always keep money on hand, something that was an unquestionable and natural habit for everyone else. Obviously, the civilization on Zaidan used currencies, but as a young child she hadn’t needed to, and the remainder of her adolescence was spent as a prisoner. So yeah, economics and bartering were concepts she was still learning to navigate. Another reminder to herself that she wasn’t human- she wasn’t even <em> normal </em>- and never would be.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that she hadn’t been locked up yet was a profound miracle, and she didn't want to push her luck by complaining about being homeless. Besides, they didn’t spend very much time in Gaara's quarters as they were always busy with meetings. Also training, in her case. Ara had been accompanying him to debrief need-to-know individuals on the new information and perspective she had provided. Now most of the military officers were aware of the situation, who the hell she was, and why she was there. It was excruciating for her, having to try and make good first impressions and win people’s approval all day. Something that didn't usually happen. No one had been outright hostile towards her, but she could sense the unease and general disbelief most of them reacted with. The only reason she was given the time of day is that they didn’t have a choice not to. Even if they didn’t respect her, they respected the Kage who were directing all of this. Again, this behavior was entirely warranted. She had mentally prepared for those reactions to the best of her ability, and was willing to set aside her own pride and emotions in order to deal with them. Generally, building trust and relationships takes time, that's just the way things are. But it still sucked to feel like the black sheep, and she hardly slept due to her anxiety. </p><p> </p><p>In their short time together Ara had already learned more about Gaara than she had ever learned about Neji, which was nice but also disheartening. The connection she developed with the Kazekage was the kind of companionship she wanted with Neji as well. Disregarding the benefits. It wasn’t like that with Gaara. There was definitely an attraction there- at least, on Ara’s part- but between all the stress, responsibilities, and the fact that they’d just met, it wasn’t even something that crossed her mind. She legitimately had better things to do. The end of the world was a much more pressing issue than trying to decipher her and Gaara's bizarre and likely unhealthy attachment to one another. Deep down, she knew that the reason her and Neji had never connected this way was because Neji just wasn't as fucked up as her and Gaara were. Due to his lack of poorly resolved psychological damage, it would take more time.</p><p> </p><p>Speaking of attachment issues, Lord Kazekage was the poster child for codependency. A fact he was fully aware of, thanks to Temari’s frequent reminders. Even though he was intentionally vague around Ara, he was smitten. Well, headed towards being so. Which surprised Gaara, because he had never thought about romantic love. He assumed it was just not compatible with his life, ambitions, or psychology. And yet by the end of that first meeting, he’d been compelled to go and make amends with the woman who reminded him of himself as well as his best friend. It was ironic, since love was literally tattooed on his forehead, and was the thing he desired to cultivate within his relationships with others the most. That only pertained to his people and his family, though, and was a different kind of love. Not anything like what he’d started to feel in her presence. It simultaneously excited and terrified him. However, given his tendency to form strong attachments to people that empathized with him on a personal level, perhaps forming a bond of this particular nature had only been a matter of time.</p><p> </p><p>Nevertheless, Gaara knew that this was neither the time nor the place for such a thing. He valued her friendship more than anything else. She truly was a lot like Naruto, in the way that she was fiercely compassionate about people whom she considered to be a friend, even if they had only recently met. And, just like with Naruto, it hadn't taken long for him to connect with her. He’d never felt physical attraction towards Naruto, though, so the similarities ended there.</p><p> </p><p>Ara stepped out into the small living area where Gaara was sitting cross legged on the couch, staring out of the window and tapping his foot impatiently. He looked over at her and examined the new outfit she had been putting together in her spare time. It was actually impressive; well designed, functional, appealing color choices, and it complimented both her personality and her physical appearance. Seeing her like that was stirring up troublesome sensations that he did <em> not </em> want to confront. So, his facial expression betrayed nothing when he offered his opinion:</p><p> </p><p>"It suits you."</p><p> </p><p>She frowned. Really, that's all he had to say? Typical. This outfit was bad as fuck and she knew it. There was literal war paint on her lower lip to add to the badassery. Sure, it was a clan tradition that no one here but her would recognize. And yes, she hated her clan, but it looked kind of cool. Regardless, at the end of the day she was going to feel anxious and out of place no matter what she was wearing, so she may as well wear something nice. Besides, receiving no valuable commentary from Gaara was preferable to him saying something inadvertently perverted, so whatever. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," she mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Gaara suppressed a smirk as he stood up and walked past her towards the front door. "The rally starts in an hour. Don't be late, Arata-san." </p><p> </p><p>"Have you come up with a speech already?" She followed him into the hallway.</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe. Hopefully I chose the right message."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, can I give you some advice then?"</p><p> </p><p>"Absolutely not."</p><p> </p><p>Ara should've expected as much, but she still wanted to slap him for being so blunt. Unfortunately, attacking the Kazekage would be political suicide, so she would have to keep her fists of fury at bay. They walked side by side through the corridors of the building without talking, winding their way down to the ground level. The significance of the upcoming event and those that would follow gradually started to sink in. This was it. The war felt real now in a way it hadn’t before, and in a few hours they would all be headed off to battle. She was scared. Not for herself, but for her friends and all of the shinobi that were potentially going to their deaths; of the uncertainty. Ara believed in their capabilities, but the Akatsuki were powerful and anything could happen. Unknown obstacles lied in wait for their forces. She wouldn’t be able to protect everyone at the same time. On top of it all, they had actually made her second in command and she had zero leadership experience or skills. </p><p> </p><p>Nada. Zilch. None. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What if they reject me? What if I fail to protect them? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t realize it when you are thinking out loud, do you?” Gaara asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, sorry,” she mumbled, embarrassed to have been voicing her insecurities to anyone within earshot. </p><p> </p><p>Taking her by surprise, Gaara stopped in his tracks and grabbed her by the shoulders so he could turn towards him. Their faces were only a few inches apart while he gave her a really intense look. Was he going to kiss her or something? That would be totally inappropriate, especially around all of those other shinobi! This guy was just as confusing as ever. She was starting to sweat and feel uncomfortable when he finally spoke. </p><p> </p><p>“If they doubt you, prove to them why they are wrong to do so. You cannot demand their respect. Earn it. You are more than capable, Arata-san.” </p><p> </p><p>“Um, thank you. I didn’t expect you to say something like that.” She desperately hoped her cheeks weren’t turning pink. The woes of being pale. </p><p> </p><p>He removed his hands from her shoulders and stood up straight. “Well, I’ve certainly learned not to judge by appearances. You’re actually strong…”</p><p> </p><p>Before she could react his back was turned and he had disappeared into the crowd. No small feat when there’s the desecrated corpse of a pumpkin on your back. She yelled after him anyways, not caring if everyone else heard her openly insult the Kazekage. “You butternut fuck, you honey roasted shit! They should have called you the Yatsukage instead!” </p><p> </p><p>“You shouldn’t behave so irrationally in public,” said a familiar voice from behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Ara spun around to face the only person she knew who would say such a thing. “Don’t you dare call me irrational, you know that makes me crazy!” </p><p> </p><p>“Case in point.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji watched her get all worked up and hissy with a smug look on his face, trying not to think about the interaction he had just witnessed. When had she and Gaara gotten acquainted, and why was he getting so close to her? Also, what the hell was she wearing? It looked like she was trying to seduce the enemy. Or perhaps he was just biased, and overwhelmed after not seeing her for so long. Ino had come up with a term for this feeling. Dehydrated, was it? That didn’t seem right. Thirsty. Was he...thirsty? No, it couldn’t <em> just </em> be him. She was dressed like some warrior goddess; anyone who enjoyed the company of women would appreciate the outfit. He supposed the get-up was fitting after all, since she technically was more powerful than most shinobi. Although he did wonder how much combat experience she actually had.</p><p> </p><p>“Nice outfit,” he commented. “Could do without the cape though.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong with the cape, huh?” </p><p> </p><p>“Use your empty head and think about it long and hard.” He could see the gears in her mind turning, trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with her cloak, and too confused to acknowledge his insult. She placed her hands behind her waist and started patting it down, her palms inching lower and lower until-</p><p> </p><p>“Neji! You’re such a perv, you know!” </p><p> </p><p>“No, I <em> don’t </em>know what you’re talking about,” he teased. When she started to blush he leaned closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Although, you didn’t seem to mind that before.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara shot him the angriest glare she could muster. Which ended up looking more like a pout. He stared at her, expressionless save for the patronizing look in his eyes. Turning her head to the side, she tried to hide her embarrassment. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I can’t believe he’s acting like this! All that time where we could have talked about what happened but didn’t, and he decides to bring it up right now just to mess with me?! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>At least he hadn’t lost his nerve over the past few weeks. That would probably come in handy out in the field. Outside of that, it only served to piss her off. However, as much as she wanted to punch him, she wanted to hug him even more. Or kiss him, since a little public shame would knock him down a peg. Maybe go at it right there on the street. Ok, that last one would be a bit much. Ara didn’t even understand why her heart was so excited to see him; it almost seemed a little <em> too </em> thrilled. She couldn’t allow herself to start having romantic feelings for him, it would just distract her from trying to keep the world from ending. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen up <em> soldier </em>, you and I are gonna have a chat! Later, though. Because I can’t be late to this rally thing,” she said, poking him in the chest and trying to act tough. He wasn’t intimidated, but he definitely seemed annoyed by the reminder that he was now her subordinate.</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san, I will castrate myself before I call you ‘captain’.”</p><p> </p><p>“What a shame, that’s the only part of you with any value.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s one more than you can say for yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dammit,” she responded. “You weren’t supposed to turn it around on me like that!”</p><p> </p><p>Neji smirked at her. “You reap what you sow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever,” Ara muttered. “Let’s just head for the rally spot.” She turned on her heel and began walking in the same direction Gaara had gone. She was mildly shocked to find Neji following beside her instead of doing something defiant, since he certainly wasn’t keen on ‘following orders’ from her. The man was staring off into the distance with an odd look on his face as they walked. His jaw was clenched, so she figured he was thinking about something. An irritating something. Ara wanted to ask him what was wrong, but took too long to decide whether or not to do so and the opportunity passed. They reached a fork in the path where they would have to part ways. Something from her nightmare all those weeks ago flashed in her mind, and she grabbed his sleeve before he could walk away. </p><p> </p><p>She started to think of what to say to distract him from the faint pulse of chakra expelled from her fingertips, but lost her train of thought when he glanced down at her with that strange expression. “Please look out for yourself, Neji,” she murmured.  </p><p> </p><p>Without saying anything, he smiled back at her. A soft, polite smile. What the hell was up with him all of a sudden? She let go of his sleeve, staring through his back as he departed down the leftmost path, while she stuck to the one on the right. Her emotions were caught between feelings of fear and blame, and she began to regret saying something with such ominous and sentimental undertones. Kami, it sounded like a threat, didn’t it? Ugh. At least he hadn’t noticed the formula she placed on his sleeve, as far as she could tell. It was a good thing the material was black; the symbols would blend in perfectly. He was definitely acting weird, though, and seemingly out of the blue. It started before she had given him the spontaneous and foreboding farewell, too. So where had she gone wrong in the past five minutes?</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They stood atop a high edifice, gazing down at the sea of people that was covering several square kilometers of desert. The Great Battle Regiment was 80,000 shinobi strong, and the army was split into each of the five divisions that now stood in formation below them. Aratashiki stood to the right of Gaara, in between him and Kitsuchi with Darui on Kitsuchi’s right, and to the Regimental Commander’s left were Kakashi and Mifune, respectively. Ara mimicked Gaara’s cross-armed stance to try and appear imposing despite being dwarfed by Kitsuchi’s hulking form. Anxious thoughts raced through her mind, intermixed with inspiration at the sight of the huge population of shinobi who had come together to face this shared enemy. It gave her hope.</p><p> </p><p>Hope that was considerably dampened once several arguments broke out among the crowd, quickly escalating into fist fights. This angered Gaara, and he forced the combatants apart with his sand before commanding their attention so he could deliver a brutal lecture.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing could have emotionally prepared her for Gaara’s speech. He had divulged bits and pieces of his past to her over the past ten days, as she had her own, but those conversations did not compare to the raw emotion exuding from his words as he spoke to his brethren. It was the most passionate she had ever seen the man behave, captured by his vocalizations to the point that it felt as though she was experiencing everything along with him. A few silent tears escaped and trickled down her cheek, betraying her neutral expression. </p><p> </p><p>“OUR ENEMY IS NOW AFTER THE VERY FRIEND WHO SAVED ME!!!</p><p>If they capture him then it will be THE END OF THE WORLD!!!</p><p> </p><p>I WANT TO PROTECT HIM!!! </p><p>I WANT TO PROTECT THIS WORLD!!!</p><p>HOWEVER, I AM TOO YOUNG and NAIVE TO DO SO...</p><p>THAT IS WHY...</p><p>I NEED ALL OF YOU TO GIVE ME YOUR STRENGTH!!!</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>To protect our friends and this world, we will fight as one...</p><p>Until our dying breaths…”</p><p> </p><p>As he concluded his effusion, the whole crowd of shinobi erupted into raucous cheers. They were so loud that even the Lord Gaara Fan club- which accounted for 75% of their kunoichi- was drowned out by the collective uproar. Ara completely understood now why they admired him so much. Even she was tempted to cry and bear-hug him in front of the entire armed forces. Which would have been very unprofessional, especially since she didn’t have the clout to do such a thing. So she did not do that, and focused on calming down instead. For several minutes she and the other commanders just stood and watched everyone, enraptured. Each of them released a breath they hadn’t realized was being held. It was all coming together; their people were finally united after so many generations of conflict. </p><p> </p><p>Gaara looked over at Aratani. It was her turn, her chance to say something if she wanted to. Ara remembered his words from earlier. Other than those she’d met in the village and a select few in leadership positions, none of these people knew who she was or why she was standing next to the Kazekage. An outsider, and the lone woman on stage. If not for herself, she had to speak up for the other kunoichi, to represent them. A woman’s touch, right? It was an opportunity Ara couldn’t pass up, so she dismissed her reservations and took a step forward to reveal her truth. The shinobi were visibly confused and began whispering among themselves once they noticed her presence, questioning her identity and her reason for being in such high command. </p><p> </p><p>“Regiment Captain Aratani Hoseki will speak to you now.” Gaara held up a hand to quiet the crowd. She sent up a quick prayer for good luck and cleared her throat to begin. Time to use her adult voice.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh fuck, don’t puke. Don’t lose it now. Public speaking is way harder than I imagined. Talk no jutsu, please don’t fail me now!  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Whether we wanted it or not, we have stepped into a war with the greatest threat you have ever faced. A threat to your very existence. I will not lie to you and tell you that it will be the last. Nor will it be the most powerful.”</p><p> </p><p>An uncomfortable silence settled over the crowd.</p><p> </p><p>“You have reached a critical point in your history. If you wish to stand against the unknown with a fighting chance then you must stand together. But it will not be enough to merely <em> act </em> as one whenever an enemy arises. You must <em> remain </em> as one, even in times of peace. This war will end. Inevitably, another will follow. Whether or not you survive the next depends on your choice at the end of this. </p><p> </p><p>I have traveled a long way to be here. The enemy you face is not what you think. This threat is not from your world. It did not come from here and it does not belong. Now, the time has come to make a choice. Will you continue to fight among yourselves? Or will you fight <em> for </em> yourselves instead?</p><p> </p><p>To have both is not an option.</p><p> </p><p>When an otherworldly threat comes to lay waste to everything you hold dear, strip away your reasons for living, and shit upon your very existence, will you sit back and take it? When humanity is at its last breath will it wait for death to claim its life?</p><p> </p><p>No. You will yell back, defiant. COME AND TAKE IT!!”</p><p> </p><p>The shinobi began to vocalize their agreement. Finally, she was getting somewhere. Forcing them to face their reality. Kami, this was so fucking difficult. Public speeches were the true bane of her existence.</p><p> </p><p>“You are not only fighting the Akatsuki, the Ten-Tails, or its creator; you are fighting your future. A civilization built on greed, driven by blood lust, dictated by evil, hatred incarnate. This is what you are up against, and they will not stop coming until you give them a good reason to stay away.</p><p> </p><p>I know because I have fought against them my entire life. I live in opposition of their core values. I exist to deny them the pleasure of taking that which does not belong to them. And I am giving my strength to protect this world, just as you are giving yours. For those I have come to care for. Those I have never even met. All of it, all of you matter. I will fight and I will die if it means that even one planet is spared from their oppression. I will not permit such tyranny. WE will not permit such tyranny. </p><p> </p><p>Yesterday, you did not know me. Just now, I have told you who I am. Going forward, I will prove it to you.</p><p> </p><p>Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light!”</p><p> </p><p>The shinobi cheered and raised their fists in solidarity with the unassuming and foreign woman speaking to them. The rumor among the unaware was that she was an entity named Jashin that the Hokage had summoned and struck a deal with after finding her sealed away in the Uzushio ruins. In exchange for not killing <em> them, </em> she was joining their battle to sacrifice the enemies instead. Pretty creative, although Ara had no idea how that had gotten started. It was slightly offensive though, because she’d had the personal displeasure of encountering Jashin. He, it, whatever- was vile, to put it kindly. Whatever the case, her commanding presence surprised them, and they were invigorated by her righteous fury. If the Kazekage felt safe enough to stand right next to her then it was best to just go along with it, anyhow. To them she was like a hot antihero with a dark mythos- straight out of some fantasy novel- come to save their broke asses from the cosmic tax collector. Additionally, she was much easier on the eyes than Naruto or Killer B for the majority of them, and that made the perplexing situation slightly easier to accept as reality. This was war, after all, and weird things were bound to happen.</p><p> </p><p>Aratani’s heart was beating rapidly, adrenaline the only thing keeping her from fainting due to the past few minutes of crippling performance anxiety. If her speech hadn’t gone well she would have literally died from the ignominy. It could’ve even driven her to break the seal and erase the failure from every timeline. Mercifully, she had been blessed with requisite eloquence for the first and maybe- but hopefully not- the last time. Granted, that last line wasn’t original; she’d read it in a poem or something a long time ago. A good thing too, since it seemed to add a dramatic, provocative flair to her improvised monologue. Gaara joined her side, taking her hand in his own and raising their conjoined fist overhead as a symbolic gesture of unification.</p><p> </p><p>“All those who feel as we do...follow us!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Writing on the Wall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The battle begins, pumpkins are smashed, some roasting and toasting, and a rain-check.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>“An object cannot make you good or evil. The temptation of power, forbidden knowledge, even the desire to do good can lead some down that path. But only you can change yourself.” </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>— Bendu</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Chapter 13: Writing on the Wall</strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“Here they come.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaara spoke quietly as they gazed out towards the horizon. Wind whipped around them, whistling as it swirled and buffeted against the tall buttes protruding from the tableland. It was the only sound other than the quiet rustle of sand particles brushing against one another as they were swept along with the currents. It was an eerie, jilted melody, as if the desert was a siren whispering inaudible secrets and beckoning you to traverse further into the dunes. A sound that made your spine tingle and your skin crawl, that filled you with a pinprick of dread so it could slowly eat away at your resolve. The entire fourth division stood behind them down in the desert, watching and waiting for their leader’s command. A figure in the distance took a step forward. Forceful gales battered their clothing, nature humming with the same anticipation they all felt. The death rattle of an epoch. </p><p> </p><p>Things in general have a funny way of going sideways, and doing so fast. Unfortunately this war was included under the definition of ‘things’. Not a week had passed since their departure from Kumo when they received intel from headquarters that old enemies were reappearing and attacking squadrons. Enemies that had been killed were walking, talking, and fighting once again. They were strong, too, more so than in life it seemed; endless chakra, immortal bodies. A perfect enemy, dead men were. The Impure World Reincarnation summoning, the very jutsu Ara remembered thinking would be trouble in the wrong hands after she’d read the scroll in secret. </p><p> </p><p>She should have knocked on wood. </p><p> </p><p>Reality was worse than what she had initially envisioned happening, were it misused. See, Tobirama Senju’s technique was...flawed. Not many souls could be controlled at one time, and they were <em> less </em> powerful than in life. Whoever was casting this had gone above and beyond her expectations with their improvements, and now they were dealing with an immortal zombie task force. Fucked. That’s the only way she could describe the situation. Absolutely fucked. This wasn’t a bump in the road, this was the road becoming sentient and actively trying to kill you. So how exactly do you defeat an immortal zombie? Well, that’s what Aratashiki hoped to find out soon. </p><p> </p><p>The figure, a tall man wrapped in bandages, knelt down and performed a series of hand-signs before slamming his palm into the ground. Three large wooden boxes rose out of the sand, falling open to reveal a body within each. Ara watched as the Second Tsuchikage summoned the Third Raikage, the Second Mizukage, and the Fourth Kazekage from beyond the veil. Four of the most powerful Kage to ever live, featuring Gaara’s asshole father. Yeah, this was probably going to be bad. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to confront them,” she said, preparing to leap off of the rock formation. Gaara grabbed her arm to stop her. </p><p> </p><p>“No.” He continued watching them with his third eye. Like, he literally made a third eyeball out of sand and floated it over to spy on them. Pretty neat trick. She was jealous, despite having four eyes herself. It just wasn’t the same. The kage were moving around, two were pointing at each other and gesturing wildly. </p><p> </p><p>“Are they...arguing?” That is what it looked like to Ara. </p><p> </p><p>“....yes.” Gaara raised his arm in the air, flattening his palm against the wind. He was signaling to the rest of the division that they had spotted the enemy. They continued to watch the figures in the distance bicker, remaining silent while the sensor division broadcast the updated strategy. A huge portion of the Zetsu army had appeared on the coast where the First Division waited, complete with a platoon of reanimated shinobi to fight alongside the clones. They were going to be hit the hardest there, so the plan was to have groups from the other divisions break off and surround the enemy while the First Division kept them occupied. Ara listened to her instructions and turned to look at Gaara, placing a hand on his arm to get his attention. </p><p> </p><p>“They want me to go ahead of Shikamaru’s group and aid Darui as soon as possible,” she told him. They remained silent for a moment, and she absentmindedly squeezed his bicep in her anxiety. “Are you...are you nervous? I am, to be honest.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fear is an emotion just like any other. You can let it control you, or you can use it to your advantage. Do not view your fear as a weakness, Arata-san. Allow it to make you stronger.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmph. You’re like a human fortune cookie.” She chuckled quietly, glancing at the distant figures and then back at him. “No matter what happens, you’re not allowed to die.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaara kept his eyes on the horizon and smirked. “No matter what happens, you’re not allowed to fall in love with me.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the hell? Pfft. He wishes. Of course that’s what he is thinking about before battle, typical psycho antics.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Won’t be a problem,” she replied. </p><p> </p><p>Ara let go of his arm and leapt down from their vantage point, landing in the sand with a loud thud. Granules of sand billowed around her in a cloud of discomfort, and she tried not to breathe any in. But this was not the time to complain about the sand in her underwear. She strode over to where Shikamaru and Temari stood arguing about whether or not it was a good idea to send half of their forces away. Locking eyes with Shikamaru, they nodded at each other to give silent confirmation that they were aware of the other’s plan. “Shika, Temari, ping me if you run into any complications, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, you’re leaving too?!” Temari yelled after her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll see you on the front lines.” </p><p> </p><p>She didn't have time to include herself in their quarrel. Ara had already broken out into a sprint, running past their shinobi and out into the expansive desert landscape. She stopped in front of a stone column a short distance from the division, placing a Hiraishin formula on the rocky surface in case she needed to return. She then began to traverse the desert, heading towards the first major confrontation.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Chaos. The beach was absolute chaos. Hard to believe it was ever considered a vacation spot. Thousands of zetsu were swarming them from the ocean, zombies were popping up left and right, Choji’s father was four stories tall and sweeping the enemy with a big ass wooden stick, and Hiashi was preparing to play a nice game of slap box with Neji, who was wearing a formal kimono instead of his uniform. Wait, what? They were standing around talking about something, so Ara jumped down and headed over to try and figure out what the fuck was going on. </p><p> </p><p>She knew she should probably be focused on other things, but this was just too bizarre not to investigate. Besides, she was the opposite of a battle expert. In fact, she had no fucking idea what to do in a conflict like this, it wasn’t in her nature at all. Otsutsuki were brutes and savages, not strategists. They just overwhelmed their prey with raw power. Which is why she’d made no attempt to influence humanity’s strategy beyond making them aware of the full situation. Understandably, spending most of your life imprisoned didn’t exactly make you a battle-hardened warrior. The handful of battles she <em> had </em> fought were one-on-one, and she only won thanks to luck and being able to overpower them. Sure, she had ‘mastered’ her dojutsu, but all that meant was that she was <em> really good </em> at using the few abilities that she’d been able to figure out on her own. She was intelligent, but uneducated. Ara retained a decent arsenal of jutsu, but as she would come to find out later on, it was not anywhere near what she could have been doing. Honestly, Tsunade should not have made her a jonin, but that’s an issue for later.</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not like that anymore! The branch family no longer serves that purpose. Neji and Hinata have been working hard to prove that!” Hiashi was saying, as if Neji wasn’t standing right in front of him. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji, what the fuck are you doing?” She yelled once she was a few meters away. He just looked at her like he had no idea who she was, and Hiashi looked at her like she was stupid. So, she took a second look at the man, and realized that it wasn’t actually Neji, because Neji didn’t have black zombie sclera. Additionally, this person’s chakra was similar to his, but not the same.</p><p> </p><p>“Aratashiki, that is Hizashi Hyuga, Neji’s father....” Hiashi trailed off, incredulous. Sheesh, was it really that unbelievable that she mistook him for his adult son who looked nearly identical?</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, um, sorry we’re having to meet like this,” she stammered. It was a little soon to be meeting the parents. Not that that’s what this was about. They were in the middle of a huge battle, she should be somewhere else, and also not thinking about her love life. Yeah, she needed to go literally anywhere else and get away from this awkward encounter. “I’m just a friend of your son’s...he’s a really great guy, you know!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What am I doing?! There isn’t time for this! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad he has managed to make friends,” Hizashi said. </p><p> </p><p>Um, ouch? He wore the exact same look as Neji: that serious, unsmiling, ‘I’ve been sitting on a stick for so long that it's starting to fuse with my asshole’ look. Not surprising that he would say something so passive aggressive. Now she kind of wanted to fight the guy herself.</p><p> </p><p>“I will deal with him, go help the others,” Hiashi yelled, beginning to get irritated with her. “Seriously, get out of here!”</p><p> </p><p>Ara sighed. Hiashi was right, she was needed elsewhere. “Ok, calm down, I’m leaving!” </p><p> </p><p>She ran off down the beach towards Choza’s gargantuan form- as it seemed that was where the action was- to start looking for Darui. Which is who she was supposed to be aiding in the first place. </p><p> </p><p>“Oof!”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly she was face-planting into the sand after something knocked into her side. Swiftly jumping to her feet, she whirled around to face her assailant, and found herself staring at a very angry looking zetsu, which confused her for multiple reasons that she would think about after it was dead. </p><p> </p><p>Thinking quickly, she expelled a column of bone from her palm to use as a sword. She had at least been smart enough to cut holes in her gloves so that her rinne sharingan would be exposed, should she need to use them, and that meant that she could also produce creepy skeleton swords to her heart’s content. Ara plunged the weapon into it’s grotesque body and jerked to the right, ripping its torso apart. She created a clone and set it to work warding off more of the things so she could examine the corpse.</p><p> </p><p>Now that it was dead, she was able to see the zetsu’s body up close, and realized that Kaguya- or Black Zetsu, perhaps- had enhanced them somehow. Instead of being featureless lumps of organic matter that were essentially real-life stick figures, this thing was decked out in human anatomy, and appeared to be made from human cells as well. Face, eyes, muscle tone, shitty hair, Kaguya had really gone all out on these. Thankfully there were no genitalia, or this would have been a hot-dog fest. The facial design looked suspiciously similar to someone she knew as a young child back on Zaidan.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wow, she really designed an army of clones in the image of her childhood crush.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Laughing, she smiled down at the visage of Urashiki, wishing she had a camera or something to document the hilarity. Kaguya always had a thing for douche-nozzles, and Aratashiki's half-brother was no exception.</p><p> </p><p>The joy was soon wiped from her face, however, when more zetsu started coming at her after disposing of her clone. Refocusing on her initial task for the <em> second </em> time- which was to find Darui- she cut them down and started hacking and slashing her way down the shoreline, heading towards where she could sense his chakra signature. Darui had a tattoo on his shoulder that was imbued with Six Paths chakra which was nearly identical to the Gamma Chakra unique to her clan, even though he clearly was not an Otsutsuki or a descendant of Kaguya, such as a Hyuga. So how did he have it? No idea, but it made him an even easier target for her to sense. As much as she wanted answers to the questions she had, there were people dying and that was more of a priority at the moment than studying the plethora of ways humanity had evolved and altered their chakra natures. </p><p> </p><p>As she neared the tower of terror that was Choza Akimichi, she finally spotted Darui. He was standing on the water about 40 meters out from the shoreline, staring at two extremely tall reanimated shinobi. A silver-haired man was holding a gourd-shaped pot that was similar to Gaara’s. To his left, a golden-haired man was just standing there empty handed other than a glowing rope wrapped around his right wrist, but still managing to look like a menace. However, it was their chakra that piqued her intrigue, more so than Darui’s at the moment. Somehow, both men possessed nine-tails chakra, and even had the same whisker markings as Naruto. </p><p> </p><p>Darui was watching them debate about his identity when she appeared at his side. “Dude, who are these clowns?” </p><p> </p><p>“Ginkaku and Kinkaku, the gold and silver brothers,” he replied. </p><p> </p><p><em> Holy shit. </em> These are the guys she read about, the ones who killed Tobirama Senju, who was her favorite dead human. Or so she had decided. She might have become slightly obsessed, and for no profound reason other than he just seemed like a cool guy. Might as well idolize the dude. He also happened to write down almost everything he did or learned through his experiments, unlike the majority of the people of his time, which showed a great deal of consideration for future generations. Something she admired, as inconsiderate behavior was one of her biggest pet peeves. So, what a privilege to be given the opportunity to white-knight for the second Hokage by personally kicking their asses. She was about to ask Darui what his plan of attack was when he addressed the men before them.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for the disrespect, but I’m going to have to shame both of you a little right now. I’m afraid that I might even end up stripping away the shine from your gold and silver,” Darui began, pressuring Ara to introduce herself as well. </p><p> </p><p>“Well I’m Aratani Hoseki, and I’m not sorry!” Ara shouted, trying to provoke the men. “You killed the second Hokage, and I’m here to avenge him! Well, I’m here because we’re at war with the Akatsuki...but I’m fighting you for Tobirama’s sake too!”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen, brother. It appears this little girl is an acquaintance of that albino troglodyte we disposed of,” Kinkaku said. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh, he did not just call him that….yeah, fuck the rules. I’m definitely going to kink-shame this guy. Pun intended. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Good! We can send her to the same place we sent him,” Ginkaku laughed, grinning and showing off his disgusting teeth. Kami, he must’ve had terrible dental hygiene during his lifetime.</p><p> </p><p>Samui and another cloud ninja, her younger brother Atsui, came out of nowhere and landed in front of her and Darui. “Samui, Atsui,” Darui announced, doing them a service by introducing them to the enemy in a concise manner.</p><p> </p><p>“If you two are really the Gold and Silver Brothers we read about in our history books, then I’d rather not be called your comrade. It isn’t cool,” Samui stated, apparently the only one of them other than Ara who wasn’t going to kiss-ass just because they were legendary. Legendary <em> criminals </em>, for crying out loud. </p><p> </p><p>“Hah, the usually cool-headed lady is feeling red-hot today I see,” Atsui teased. “Those two really must be something.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Uh, admitting that you didn’t value your education doesn’t make you look brave, my dude. Kind of cringe.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ara was starting to pick up on the do’s and don'ts of battle etiquette. It wasn’t quite what she would’ve expected, but it seemed that before any fight it was customary to introduce yourselves first. Then, you were supposed to trash talk each other a bit, kind of like a warm up. The secondary goal of a fight, it seemed, was to fuck with your enemy as much as possible. Now that, she could definitely do. Seems like her disgusting kekkei genkai was going to come in handy at some point after all. Not a bad thing either, because it was way more interesting than just using dojutsu all the time. So, the formalities weren’t very pragmatic, but they were kind of fun, and had Ara looking forward to more skirmishes. Their opponents were being very well-mannered too, allowing everyone to speak without interruption.</p><p> </p><p>Kinkaku opened his mouth wide, like he had something to say. There was a gurgling noise, and then the handles of two...somethings...were emerging from his throat. Each brother grabbed onto one and pulled, revealing a giant fan made of feathers and a fancy broadsword. Kinkaku held the fan, and Ginkaku the sword. Watching this happen was fucking nasty. Who stores their weapons inside of their stomach? It had to be a sealing technique of some kind, because there was no way either of those fit, and the sword should have sliced open his neck and torso on its way out. Humans weren’t nearly as bad as her own, but some of them were still genuinely depraved. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s do this, Ginkaku!” Kinkaku waved his fan as he spoke, standing tall while Ginkaku crouched down in preparation.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing, Kinkaku.” </p><p> </p><p>“No way, are those-” Atsui began after seeing the weapons. Seems like he paid attention to something after all.</p><p> </p><p>Samui cut him off and began lecturing him about what the weapons were, which Ara was grateful for because she didn’t know either. According to Samui, their opponents had four out of the five ‘ultimate ninja tools’ that the hidden cloud confiscated a long time ago. Kokinjo- the golden twizzler- squeezes out a victim’s spirit word. Shichiseiken- fancy knife, or the Seven Stars Blade- severs the spirit word and curses it. Benihisago- the crimson gourd- records the spirit word and seals it inside. Basoshen- the banana fan- somehow conjures up all five chakra natures. It sounded like something you would make up just to scare little kids. Just as she finished explaining, a bunch of those annoying zetsu rose out of the water and surrounded them. </p><p> </p><p>Ara and Atsui both reacted at the same time, the former beginning to cut down the ring with her bone sword while the latter used his flame slice to light them all on fire, nearly singing her in the process.  Atsui, renowned genius, then decided to lunge at the two brothers, taunting them as he did so. </p><p> </p><p>“They’re nothing against our ninjutsu that’s fueled by our blazing hot souls!”</p><p> </p><p>He was being reckless and a bit too dramatic, but Ara happened to agree with the sentiment. She still didn’t understand what a word spirit was, anyways. Were they going to verbally assault them? Turn their insides into alphabet soup? What a joke. Samui panicked and ran after her idiot brother. Apparently she hadn’t finished explaining, and there was more to the story. Kinkaku stood his ground to face them, but Ginkaku left and made a break for Ara and Darui, much to Atsui’s chagrin. That guy was an absolute fool, he put the likes of Kiba Inuzuka to shame. </p><p> </p><p>She braced herself, settling into a defensive stance and reactivating her byakugan. Ginkaku’s chakra pathways lit up under her gaze, and boy did he have a lot of chakra. Darui turned away from their assailant to check on the other two, not caring about the broadsword wielding beast rapidly approaching him. Ara jumped in front of him and blocked the attack, clashing his sword with her own. </p><p> </p><p>“My, what strong bones you have,” he grinned. </p><p> </p><p>Indeed they were, otherwise she would be headless right now. For Aratashiki, the Shikotsumyaku was the only beneficial thing that came out of being Junichiro’s daughter. It was a kekkei genkai unique to him, a grotesque side effect of consuming the first God Tree and the resulting reaction of it’s chakra with his Precursor biology. The kekkei genkai rarely manifested in his offspring, so she had gotten lucky in that respect. Not many Otsutsuki possessed the gene. Since Kaguya’s family was descended from one of his first impure offspring, she had inherited it as well, and was the first to do so within the past several generations of her family. That was actually the reason Kaguya and Ara knew each other at all; Junichiro had adopted her as a ‘ward’ of sorts just so he could dote on his descendant for having his amazing genes. Ok, there admittedly was more to it than that. Kaguya’s was much stronger than Ara’s, as the bitch also happened to have a novel mutation that resulted in her ‘All Killing Ash Bones’. </p><p> </p><p>Junichiro had at one point hired a scientist to try and artificially enhance Aratashiki’s own biology by infusing her skeleton with platinum to see if he could create a foil to Kaguya’s natural ability. It was one of the most excruciating things he had ever done to her, and all it did was make her bones really strong and a tad metallic looking under certain lighting. So, it didn’t even work. A fact that gave Aratashiki’s father all the more justification for hating his own daughter. Even if the extra fortitude came in handy, and allowed the creation of her only truly unique fighting technique. </p><p> </p><p>“Ginkaku, let’s swap,” Kinkaku yelled. For some reason they really did swap positions, even though Ginkaku had literally <em> just </em> started fighting her. It was kind of offensive.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks Aratani,” Darui said. “Damn, I can’t even stop one enemy. I’m sorry, you guys.” </p><p> </p><p>“Stop whining and focus!” Ara responded, waiting for Kinkaku to make a move. Instead, he turned around and said something about ‘squeezing them’ to his brother. What did they think we were, lemons? Ara was getting fed up with all this conversation. She and Darui watched in shock as Samui and Atsui started to choke and expel a blue ethereal substance from their mouths. </p><p> </p><p>“What is that?!” </p><p> </p><p>“Kokinjo here on my arm squeezes out the spirit word of whoever touches it,” Kinaku said. Ginkaku sliced each ephemera with his sword before removing the lid from his gourd and sucking them inside. Ara couldn’t believe what she was seeing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wait, Samui was being serious? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She was too busy slicing through another onslaught of zetsu to notice that Samui had resumed her lecture, and  Ara only caught the tail end of it as the last clone fell. “That means, that as soon as we utter the word or phrase we have spoken the most since birth, we’ll be pulled into that gourd and sealed away inside!” </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, we’re not playing some silly word game. This is dumb,” Darui said.</p><p> </p><p>Thinking the same thing and unable to help herself, Ara burst out laughing. “What? That’s ridiculous, there’s no such thing as a word soul, that can’t be real!” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah? I’ll prove it to you, little brat,” Kinkaku growled. Seems she had struck a chord. Due to her uncontrollable laughter, she didn’t move away from his attack in time. Not that she really made an effort. The golden rope hit her in the face, burning terribly once it made contact. She cursed and rubbed her cheek, readying her blade. “Hah, prepare to be squeezed!” </p><p> </p><p>Kinkaku began trying to remove her spirit word, but nothing happened. </p><p> </p><p>“I told you I don’t have a word soul, you fucking idiot!” Ara felt like she was on drugs. Or maybe everyone else was. </p><p> </p><p>“What? How is this possible?” Kinkaku was visibly pissed, and Ginkaku was glaring at her in confused anger as well from behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“Hell if I know! Probably because I’m not human. But enough of this nonsense, I’m going to put you out of your misery,” she hissed. </p><p> </p><p>Concentrating her chakra into bolts of lightning, she electrified the bone sword in her hand. Kinkaku used his fan to send a gust of fire towards her while Ginkaku grabbed Samui and held her hostage. Ara rolled to the side to avoid the flames, and as soon as she was back on her feet Kinkaku lunged at her with his sword. She side-stepped his trajectory, taking advantage of the fact that his massive body would slow him down, and swung her blade upwards. It ripped through the flesh of his shoulder, and his arm fell into the water along with that stupid rope. Beside them, Darui cast out a series of lasers from his hands, pummeling Ginkaku with them. The lasers sent him flying backwards, freeing Samui from his grip. Ara kicked the severed appendage away so that it wouldn’t touch anyone by accident. </p><p> </p><p>“Samui, Atsui, go back to the shore and don’t say a word!” Ara commanded. They actually listened, and Atsui grabbed Samui before running back towards the beach. “Square up, you meatheads! I’m taking that gourd by force!”</p><p> </p><p>“What are you going to do, break it?” Ginkakau said, taunting her. </p><p> </p><p>“This runt thinks she can take us on,” Kinkaku laughed.</p><p> </p><p>Big mistake, calling her a runt. Now she was angry. Not enough to get leaky chakra syndrome, but pretty damn angry. Ara had initially planned to let them play around with her a little bit so she could get a better feel for the flow of battle, but now she just wanted them gone. All she had to do was get close enough to get a hand on them, and it would all be over. How did she know this? Well, she had done some brainstorming while she was sprinting here from the Fourth Division’s front. She’d read about the Impure World Reincarnation all those weeks ago in the archives, reading everything she could find about it and milking those scrolls for info until they were dry. Metaphorically. Tsunade hadn’t wanted her to go sniffing through forbidden jutsu whenever she gave her access to the archives and had explicitly said as much, but the deed was done. Besides, she had only actually read about three of them, and only because they were all created by the same person. Multi-shadow clone jutsu, Flying Thunder God or Hiraishin, and lord of zombies. Anyways, in this case it was a good thing she had broken the rules.</p><p> </p><p>According to her research, the rinnegan could undo the summoning via the use of the Outer Path, which gave its wielder domain over life and death. This was news to her since she hadn’t ever taken the time to learn much about the rinnegan herself. She did know of the Inochi no Uta, of which the- loosely- human equivalent was called Samsara of Heavenly Life. Pain had used it to revive hundreds of the dead at once, at the cost of his life, by summoning a deity called the King of Hell. The deity was connected to human metaphysics and afterlife, it wasn’t relevant or known to her species. But anyways, her lack of knowledge wasn’t a problem in this situation since humanity had done all the leg work.</p><p> </p><p>The Outer Path sounded dramatic, but all it really meant was that you could use something called a black receiver to reanimate and control corpses, and to banish their souls back to wherever they came from. A black receiver allowed you to channel your chakra into the corpse, imbuing it with your will and granting you control over the body and soul. Sort of like an off-brand zetsu. A real zetsu, though- such as Black Zetsu- not those fleshy white abominations. </p><p> </p><p>Theoretically, she should be able to do all of this with her rinne sharingan. It was probably going to take a lot of chakra, too, if it did work. There was no way to know, because she had never tried such a thing before. Why would she? The idea of turning her will into pieces of body jewelry and molesting a corpse with them so that she could use it as a puppet had never crossed her mind. Not once. And it probably wouldn’t have even if she <em> had </em> been in a situation where such a thing was advantageous. Which had never happened. Until now. </p><p> </p><p>The silver stallion charged at her first. “Darui, hold off the other one!” She yelled, hoping he would back her up.</p><p> </p><p>Ginkaku took a swing at her with his broadsword, but she parried the blow and ran him through the stomach with her own, allowing the electricity to arc out across his body like chains in the hopes of immobilizing him. She sliced off the hand holding his broadsword and kicked it nearly a hundred yards away, far out of reach. Then let go of her own sword and started battering his tenketsu points with her palms, but it wasn’t until she had closed off nearly seventy of them that she realized it was having no effect on his chakra. Shit. Ara had completely forgotten that these zombies supposedly had limitless chakra. It was time for a new strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The paralysis from her electrocution was already wearing off as his limbs started to twitch, regaining full motor function only a few seconds later. She yanked out the bone sword just as he started to take a swing at her, but she wasn’t able to fully dodge in time and his fist clipped her right temple. The blow sent her skidding across the water on her hands and feet as she tried to keep herself from falling over. Concentrating extra chakra into the soles of her feet, she pushed back against the water, using its surface tension to her advantage to propel her in the opposite direction and back towards Ginkaku. She landed on her feet and ran towards him, waiting for him to try and hit her again.</p><p> </p><p>Ginkaku did exactly what she wanted, and she ducked under the blow while channeling lightning into her sword once again. Since she couldn’t deplete his chakra or kill him with physical damage alone, she would just have to destroy his body faster than he could regenerate. Ara began hacking away at his torso, slicing into his left side and then jerking up and across his chest towards his right shoulder, ripping him into two pieces. He started slinging curses and trying to hit her again- despite his vivisection- but she ignored it, hacking off each limb that tried to make contact. She was in a bloodthirsty trance as the rest of the world faded away, until all she could focus on was her blade and the ringing in her ears as she continued her assault. Decapitating him, she kicked the angry head away and continued to desecrate his body until the area of ocean she was standing on looked like chunky zombie soup. </p><p> </p><p>Snarling wickedly, she dashed over to his still screaming head and held it up by the hair, placing her palm on his forehead while she looked into his eyes. Mentally crossing her fingers, she willed her eyeball to produce a receiver, because she didn’t really know how to actually make them. Unlike earth shinobi, she had never used hand signs to wield chakra, she just...did it. Apparently, though, that was all it took, and a black rod forced itself into the space between his brows. A little too easy, but she wasn’t going to complain. Before she had time to get distracted, she channeled her chakra into the black mass. It was then that she realized that she had forgotten <em> where </em> to send human souls. They weren’t the same as her species, they had an afterlife in a dimensional plane of some sort. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> If us Otsutsuki had an afterlife we could be summoned back from...Kami, what a disaster that would be.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Aratani wracked her brain, but couldn’t think of the name. She needed to hurry, or she would blow through her chakra and he would regenerate. “Ginkaku, where do you go when you die?”</p><p> </p><p>“Quit asking me about the Pure Land you brat! And let go of my hair!” He yelled and tried unsuccessfully to bite her. What an idiot, he didn’t even realize that he’d just doomed himself. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” she smirked. Aratani closed her eyes and thought about the Pure Land, manifesting an intention to send him there and continually pushing it through the receiver along with her chakra. It was the only idea she could come up with, because there weren’t any step-by-step instructions on how to do the literal banishing part. So she just tried doing it the same way she did any jutsu. Ginkaku started to yell profanities at her again, so she eased open her eyelids. Much to her delight, his head was beginning to disintegrate. Looking around at the water, she watched as more and more of the Ginkaku cutlets she’d made disappeared, until he was just puffs of ash blowing away with the wind.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit, I can’t believe that worked!”</p><p> </p><p>Darui made a weird yell-grunt noise, drawing her attention. She turned around, seeing that he was tiring and barely managing to hold off Kinkaku, who had somehow missed her viciously butchering his brother. Ara must have been fast; she couldn’t really remember. It’d felt like a long time to her, but in reality the whole thing only lasted a couple of minutes. While Darui still had Kinkaku occupied, she charged at the man’s back, slamming her free hand against his butt and running his other cheek through with her weapon. Ara didn’t want to touch his butt, but unfortunately it was the closest part of him within her reach. He was <em> that </em> tall. She began repeating her earlier process, sticking a receiver into his ass-cheek and willing his soul to go to the Pure Land. Darui helped her out by trapping him with his black panther lightning, which was pretty badass to see. </p><p> </p><p>“How dare you kill my brother and then fondle me, you brat!” Kinaku roared with fury as nine-tails chakra bubbled out from his skin, forming a red shroud that was slowly shifting his body into a fox-like form. “I’ll never let such a puny fool defeat me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Get over yourself, you’re light-years away from being in my list of the top ten most bootylicious shinobi!”</p><p> </p><p>“Damn you, I worked hard for my physique! I’m swole as fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s on some real shit,” Darui muttered, impressed by her boldness.</p><p> </p><p>Kinaku was already starting to force his way through the lightning restraints. Needing to move things along before he broke away and went apeshit on everyone, Ara screamed her intention out loud, hoping it would speed up the process. “Fuck off to the Pure Land you stupid furry!”</p><p> </p><p>It actually did speed things along, and before Kinkaku could turn around and grab her his limbs were blowing away in the wind. A few moments later and his ashes were hitching a ride on the northern easterlies- headed for eternity- while he continued to boast about his ‘huge and awesome muscles’. Personally, she didn’t think he deserved to go anywhere with the word ‘pure’ in the name, but it wasn’t up to her where humanity’s dead went. Once Kinkaku’s body had crumbled away, she came face to face with a shocked Darui. </p><p> </p><p>“Whoa, how did you <em> do </em> that?” He pulled out a scroll and summoned a big orange jar. “I was going to seal them in here, the Kohaku no Johei.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Really, a jar? Couldn’t they just break out again? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Nice pottery, but I banished their souls instead. It’s a long story, and I don’t totally understand it myself.” She turned on her heel, suddenly remembering the ninja tools they had left behind. “Darui, help me get rid of these ninja tools.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold up, am I in the top ten tho? What’s a furry? Also, what’s a light-year?”</p><p> </p><p>“No! And I’ll tell you later, this isn’t a good time!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That guy is worse than I am at staying focused, and that’s saying a lot. I can’t believe he’s a commander! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ara marched over to Benihisago and picked it up. Carrying it under her arm, she ran back to the beach and threw it down on the ground, not noticing all the shinobi that had stopped fighting to watch her rampage for the past five minutes. She stared down at the ominous pumpkin, wondering how many lives it had ruined or ended by stealing word souls. Ara still couldn’t really believe such a thing was real, it seemed like a major evolutionary flaw. Who made this thing anyways? It was just proof that people needed to do less talking and more attacking. Raising her bone sword overhead and molding the sharp end into a blunt head, she took a deep breath and proceeded to beat the shit out of Benihisago. </p><p> </p><p>“Any last words, Benihisago?!” Ara laughed maniacally in response to her own joke.</p><p> </p><p>She kept whacking it until it was nothing more than a bunch of broken chunks, and then she continued hitting it until those too were obliterated. The legendary ninja tool was now a mere smattering of clay shards intermixed with the sand. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The sun was halfway below the horizon, orange and pink streaks painting the sky as the shadows from the cliffs crept towards the waterline. In stark contrast to the earlier chaos, an eerie calmness had settled over the battlefield. It was almost a relief, but a storm would soon follow. Most of the activity had died down once the zetsu army dwindled. The reanimated enemies who weren’t already sealed had been lured away to the desert to try and reduce collateral casualties, and the shinobi left behind were scattered along the ridges in the sea cliffs gathering their wits while helping tend to and escort the wounded off the premises. </p><p> </p><p>Aratani’s bone sword crackled and glowed brilliantly with so much electricity that it burned her palm. She plunged it into the chest of the squirming zetsu trapped beneath her foot, stabbing it repeatedly and sending chunks of organic matter flying into the air with each thrust of the blade. When she finally stopped, it convulsed several times and groaned in agony before falling still. Her chest heaved and a sheen of sweat covered her aching muscles as she dispelled the lightning and let go of her weapon. Straightening her back, she turned to peer down the coast from atop the large pile of dismembered clones she was standing on, a demoniac grin on her face. Her nerves were overstimulated with a surplus of adrenaline, and her limbs shook with the delirium. She looked like an absolute lunatic, causing the shinobi closest to her to recoil in terror and search for somewhere else to stand around. Somewhere far away. It was a good thing there were no more enemies or she would have lost control of herself, already having come dangerously close. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s the last one,” she said, laughing hysterically as she jumped down from the mountain of unholy carnage. A short ways away, she spotted Tenten splayed out on the ground with Kinkaku’s banana fan clutched in her fist and a medic at her side. It seemed that Darui <em> hadn’t </em>gotten rid of the tools, and she had been too distracted by the swarms of other enemies to do so herself. Sobering up from her blood lust, she darted over to her friend and knelt down next to the medic. </p><p> </p><p>“Tenten, you shouldn’t have used that, it’s too dangerous! You could have died,” she scolded, concerned. Using her byakugan, Ara could see that Tenten’s chakra was dangerously low, her pathways so dim that they were only just barely visible. The fan must have siphoned chakra from the user in order to work.</p><p> </p><p>“I know, but I’m just so good at using this thing,” she joked. </p><p> </p><p>“Tenten, you don’t need a ridiculous ornamental fan to be good!” Ara raised her voice, making her sound unintentionally harsh and causing the woman to flinch and look away. “I’m sorry Tenten, I didn’t mean to sound angry. And I totally understand the temptation. I’m just worried about you.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay. I don’t even know where this thing came from,” Tenten admitted. She looked and sounded awful, covered in scrapes and bruises. The medic seemed to think she would be okay, but Tenten shouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place. Ara could already feel the burning sensation in her muscles as her rage manifested and was intensified by the adrenaline flooding her vascular system. </p><p> </p><p>Ara forced a smile, cyan chakra already seeping out and surrounding her. “Speaking of that. I have to go take care of something.” </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, don’t do anything st-”</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t hear the rest of what Tenten said, because she had already sprinted down the beach with incredible speed, coming to a halt behind Darui. He was standing in front of some unfortunate zombie thug being held down by Choji’s massive hand. Above them, Hiashi stood atop his other closed fist where Hizashi was contained within a tight grip. </p><p> </p><p>“Darui...did I ask you to help get rid of those fucking ninja tools, or did I not?” She growled, her seething anger causing Darui to break out into a nervous sweat as he backed away and smiled apologetically.</p><p> </p><p>“This one has a dirty mouth, hmm,” the zombie said. His voice was low and rumbling with a disturbing grittiness to it. </p><p> </p><p>Ara glared down at him, and saw that his body was covered in long sutures with weird threaded tentacles bursting out of the seams. This dude personified the expression ‘snitches get stitches’. It was repulsive. It also rang a bell in her mind regarding a certain Akatsuki member she had been told about. </p><p> </p><p>“<em> This </em> one has a date with hell, hmm. How does a vacation sound, Sasori?” She snarled back at him and knelt down, raising her arm to rest a palm on his forehead. </p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me? How could you confuse me with that IDIOT!” He was suddenly <em> very </em> angry. </p><p> </p><p>“If you’re not the puppet guy then who are you?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Kakuzu, you FOOL! I’ll rip your heart out!”</p><p> </p><p>Ah, yes, he was the one obsessed with money. “Cock kazoo, moneybags, I don’t care what your name is. It’s over!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, but not for you! It’s far from over, the battle is just beginning…”</p><p> </p><p>She couldn’t stand his cephalopod-lookin’ ass a minute longer, so she covered his mouth with her hand and shoved a black receiver down his throat. Ara felt a sadistic sense of pleasure watching him writhe and gargle incoherently as his body disintegrated. She was getting better at releasing the summoning, using much less chakra now than she had with Ginkaku. Despite being a natural byakugan user, she was surprisingly clumsy when it came to chakra control while using new techniques. Fortunately, though, she was a fast enough learner to compensate. Once Kakuzu was gone, Choji rested his clenched fist on the ground so that Ara could take care of Hizashi. Neji really was his spitting image, albeit a younger version- which was obvious now that she was seeing Hizashi up close.</p><p> </p><p>Ara struggled with the task at hand precisely <em> because </em> he looked so similar to Neji. Realistically, she should just be letting the Sealing Core do this since it was their only job. However, she felt compelled to personally release Hizashi instead of leaving him trapped in a cloth cocoon until the summoning was released by the caster. Her hand was shaking and she had to exert herself just to get her arm to move. She stared at the curse mark on his forehead, knowing that Neji bore the same one under his hitai-ate. There was a sinking feeling in her gut telling her that Hizashi had likely died because of the curse mark, and it pained her to think that Neji could end up with the same fate. The thought made her nauseous. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re close to him,” Hizashi said, a statement rather than a question. </p><p> </p><p>“I...I guess you could say that.” She placed her palm over the mark on his forehead. Her compulsive urge to say something stupid was rising in tandem with her anxiety. It was NOT a good time to blurt out that she and his son were sort of fuckbuddies. Clearly this was just not a person that Ara was emotionally prepared to converse with. At least, not at that moment in time. He narrowed his eyes, looking at her quizzically while she pushed a receiver into his skull.</p><p> </p><p>“What is your name?” </p><p> </p><p>“Aratan-,” she cleared her throat to cut herself off. For some reason she wanted- no, she <em> needed </em>- to tell him her real name. He was already starting to fade. “Aratashiki,” she whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Hizashi smiled faintly, gazing up at the sky towards something that caught his attention. Following his line of sight, she looked up and saw a lone white bird circling the air above them. </p><p> </p><p>“Nice to meet you, Aratashiki.”</p><p> </p><p>She jerked her hand away as soon as he was gone, trying to block out the images from her nightmare that had decided to make an unwelcome appearance. Initially she had no idea who the people in it were, but based on recent happenings she was starting to think that Neji was one of them. As to which one that was, she refused to consider. Her chakra began to dissipate while she fought back tears of some unknown emotion. She stood up, clenching her fists to try and steel her nerves before she turned around.</p><p> </p><p>Ino and Shikamaru had joined the group while she was tending to Hizashi, and they both looked concerned when they saw the expression on her face. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, are you ok?” Ino reached out a hand to try and comfort her.</p><p>Before Ara could respond, she was suddenly overwhelmed with alarm. Danger. They were in danger. A figure appeared in her peripheral and she whirled around to face them. Someone who she knew right away was not an ally was standing a short distance away. A white mask resembling a rinnegan with three tomoe on it covered their face, and the sleeves of their dark blue mantle stopped just short of their gloved wrists. Any hair they had was concealed by the sleeve of the mask, leaving a large gunbai that was strapped to their back as the only identifier. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Madara Uchiha.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The figure performed a series of hand-signs, and the ground began to shake violently as something massive rose up from the sand. Like, this thing was <em> huge </em> . She had never seen such a big...whatever it was, before. It looked like an ugly tree-golem, with its mouth wide open in a permanent scream. And also a literal scream, because it let loose the most terrible, grating noise Ara had ever heard. Everyone covered their ears as waves of sound <em> visibly </em> assaulted them, like the cries of a humongous angry baby that had been sitting in a poopy diaper for far too long. </p><p> </p><p>“What the hell is that thing?!” Some random dude yelled. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s even bigger than Choji!” Ino commented, stating the obvious. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Shikamaru said, as if he were the only one. “Ara-san, do you-”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope, I have no idea what the FUCK that thing is,” she responded, cutting him off. This was indeed very bad, and not the way she had wanted to spend the evening. She pushed out a newer, more savage looking bone sword from the base of her neck, gripping it and tugging it free. It was time to grow a spine. Literally. She thrust it in front of her, aiming the serrated tip at the figure while briskly walking towards them. Cyan chakra had once again engulfed her entire body in ethereal flames. “<em> YOU IGNORANT SLUT!” </em></p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san what are you doing?” Shikamaru yelled after her, but she ignored him.</p><p> </p><p>The figure eyed her curiously as she approached, surprised by her boldness and lack of fear. As she got closer she could see through two of the tomoe-shaped slits that they possessed both a mangekyou sharingan and a rinnegan. Their eyes were darting around rapidly, as if they were looking for something. </p><p> </p><p>“Who are you and why are you pretending to be Madara Uchiha?” She demanded, coming to a stop with only a few inches between the tip of her blade and his chest. </p><p> </p><p>“Where is the Benihisago?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m the one asking the questions here,” she growled back at him. </p><p> </p><p>“<em> Where is it? Did you not seal away Ginkaku and Kinkaku?” </em>It sounded like he was starting to panic. </p><p> </p><p>“Benihisago is right under your feet, idiot! I smashed it to pieces. And you’re not going to find either of them, because I banished their souls.”</p><p> </p><p>“You <em> what </em> ? How could <em> you </em> undo the summoning, little girl?” He narrowed his eyes at her, finally taking her seriously. About time. Men and their egos, ugh. </p><p> </p><p>“First of all, I am an adult woman. Secondly, I’m not going to tell you,” she retorted. “Lastly, I know you aren’t Madara Uchiha. And now that I’m sensing you in person, I have confirmation. Your spirit is too young, and it isn’t at odds with your chakra, so you’re not possessed are you? No, because It’s natural. Unlike your body modifications. I see right through you and your artificially enhanced chakra reserves, you impostor.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?” </p><p> </p><p>He was slowly stepping away from her. Advancing herself to maintain the close distance, she grinned at him. Her expression was full of malice, mirroring the killing intent she had unknowingly manifested and was now exuding from her being. </p><p> </p><p>“I am your GOD.”</p><p> </p><p>The figure disappeared within the spiraling distortion of the Kamui. A pussy move, in her opinion, but probably for the best. If she had revealed herself, or fought him just now, things could escalate before the allied forces were prepared. Aratashiki did not understand what she was feeling at that moment, as she had never experienced a Killing Intent in person. It radiated from her like a noxious, black fog. The only thing she knew was that she would stop at nothing to end him, Kaguya, Black Zetsu; all of this. </p><p> </p><p>Screams of terror pulled her attention back to the battlefield, where the statue was rampaging. The bastard hadn’t even bothered to take his hell-spawn with him. ‘Madara’ had to have still been nearby, but she didn’t have time to chase him while that golem was killing people. Deciding it was time she actually examined the thing, she noticed the immense chakra it possessed. Metric fuck tons of chakra, a real nuisance in her current state. Her only guess as to what it was, was that it might be the Demonic Statue the Raikage had mentioned during one of the council meetings. Apparently the Akatsuki had been using it to store the tailed beasts that they captured. However, this definitely wasn’t the Juubi; they hadn’t collected the eight or nine-tails yet. So it had to be the statue. </p><p> </p><p>She wanted to break the seal and punt it into outer space. Her own chakra reserves were definitely wearing down, and this thing would kill thousands if it wasn’t stopped. Assuming it hadn’t already. It was a risk to expose her identity like that, and could derail their entire strategy. She was almost too pissed off to care. Almost. If she couldn’t stop it with the help of the others, then she would. Only as a last resort.</p><p> </p><p>Aratani entered her Tenseigan chakra mode, flying towards the pandemonium. Kitsuchi was trying to restrain the beast between two massive hemispheres of earth, but the statue easily broke through Kitsuchi’s stone barrier. It screeched in outrage and gathered chakra above its head before sending out a massive ring of thick columns of lighting. Fuck. She was nearing the statue and cultivating her truth-seeking orbs when it seemed to spot her. It launched a ball of black chakra at her with supersonic speed. Due to her concentration on forming the bomb her reaction time was slowed, and the orb slammed into her stomach. The tenseigan chakra immediately dissipated along with her attack and she plummeted towards the surface, landing on her back with enough force to crack the earth beneath her and shatter her spine. </p><p> </p><p>That was the first time she had ever been knocked out of her tenseigan transformation, and she already knew it would be the last. Her tenseigan was gone. Its absence was undeniable, she could feel the change in her body, her eyes, her chakra network and her gut. She could just tell the ability wasn’t there, even if her chakra capacity hadn’t changed. An indisputable fact. Even her eyes had changed, the floral rings disappeared along with her pupils, leaving behind her byakugan that now had thick teal gradient encircling the golden center. This was <em> permanent </em>. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What...what just happened? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Shaking, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, bones cracking as her vertebrae realigned after being shuffled like a deck of cards. She was in too much shock to register any pain. Ara attempted to take a breath and immediately began coughing up lungfuls of blood, painting the dirt canvas in front of her with a macabre crimson design. The statue had vanished, disappearing in a puff of smoke as she fell. It was...gone. The only evidence of it ever having been there was a massive crater and the thousands of dead bodies littering the coast. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> Obito stood atop the husk of the Juubi, looking out across the forest. The cover of night fell like a thick blanket of silence over the landscape. Neither the animals nor the insects dared to make a sound in the statue’s sinister presence. He thought over the events of the day, trying to make sense of it all. Who was that girl, and how did she know that he was not Madara Uchiha? It was impossible for her to know such details about his physical and spiritual being. She had also claimed to have undone the summoning of both Kinkaku and Ginkaku. But...how? She did not possess the rinnegan, from what he could tell, and surely he wouldn’t have missed it if she had.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Troublesome, indeed. Now he only had a fraction of the eight-tails’ chakra, and none of the nine-tails’. He needed to meet with Kabuto about this...predicament. This complication. Perhaps they would have to delay their plans. After all, what was a few more days compared to the past sixteen years? Whether it happened tomorrow or next week didn’t matter, so long as it happened.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No matter what, I will not lose this war. I have prepared for far too long. My long-standing ambition, Project Tsukuyomi, will be realized….next Tuesday.” </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you aren't familiar with the canonical events or have forgotten, the reason the fight with Ginkaku and Kinkaku is a pivotal moment in the war is because in the original timeline both brothers are sealed into Benihisago and the Kohaku no Johei. When Obito arrived and let his Gedo statue off the leash, he stole both of these artifacts. The nine-tails chakra possessed by the two men- which was sealed with them inside of the artifacts- is what allowed Obito to begin regenerating the ten-tails, and the final battle began roughly one day later. </p><p>It all worked out perfectly for me because, to put it kindly, the existence of the Gold and Silver Brothers, the Sacred Nina Tools, and the word soul bullshit(seriously what the hell) is the dumbest fucking plot device in the entire series. Its such an overly fabricated cop-out to avoid having Naruto lose any of his precious chakra. So anyways, I took great pleasure in rewriting this particular battle.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Black Zetsu visits a sacred place, full of secrets, radiating with truth. The Sound Four return for a musical number, finally living up to their name. THE AGENDA is ready(not the gay one, sadly). Kiba is...special, and Neji is still an asshole.</p><p>Theme for Sound Four encounter: https://youtu.be/X2WH8mHJnhM</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, after this chapter(and the lemon that will follow) we are going to be seeing other perspectives instead of just Aratashiki's. I know, you're probably excited by that. I am too. We will still see some of hers, but not strictly her anymore. Yay! After all, it isn't only her world that is changing from here on out. It is the other characters' world that is changing, too.</p><p>Side note, if you're reading Black Zetsu's experience and wondering what the fuck is happening, yeah. You're on the right track.</p><p>I'm also labeling the day and location to avoid confusion for the time being</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>“You cannot live with a paw in each world.”</strong> </em>
</p><p>― Erin Hunter, Into the Wild</p><hr/><p><span class="u"></span> <span class="u"> <strong>Chapter 14: Secrets</strong> </span></p><p>
  <b>SATURDAY - ???</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The air rippled and swirled as a pinprick of nothingness expanded outwards into a gaping dimensional wound. Something stepped out of the darkness, and a black shadow pulled itself from the hole, dragging each elongated limb through one at a time. Standing up fully, its gaze fixated on the far wall of the small cave. The smooth stone was expertly carved with sacred geometry. Concentric circles clung to one another, held together by impossibly straight vectors; logarithmic spirals swirled and collapsed in on themselves, unable to withstand their own proportions. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It has been so long since we came here, yesss </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It reached out with a narrow tendril, dragging the appendage across the deep grooves as it traced the outlines of each shape. Six unique insignia, all with their own distinctive feature: a set of horns, the purpose of which was to identify one of the...explorers. Although conqueror might be a more fitting term. Its head split from one side to the other in a crude imitation of a smile, watching the flickering holograms with glee as it pressed down on each plate in a practiced order: mother, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and the last- someone as of yet unknown. A section of the wall to its right shifted, phasing out of this material plane to allow passage into the space beyond. Reluctantly, it peeled its caressing fingers from the constellations and slithered down the hallway. </p><p> </p><p>The lightless tunnel opened into an enormous cavern, dimly lit by a small crack in the ceiling, just big enough to illuminate the two statues lurking near the back. It stood on the edge of a sheer drop, the floor at which it might end swallowed by the dark. There didn’t necessarily have to be an end, it reminded itself. Perhaps this place itself was the <em> end </em> , an airless vacuum where most things could not persist, a realm beyond the reaches of many. Held together by secrets, secrets even <em> it </em> was not privy to, secrets woven into the ‘empty space’. Space packed full of plasma, radiation, magnetic touches, neutrinos, dust, and cosmic rays. </p><p> </p><p>The perfect environment for such powerful secrets, inducing even the most headstrong beings with a sense of malneirophrenia. A foul, heavy, negative state of mind following a nightmare. Yes, it thrived here, feeding off of the despair. </p><p> </p><p>Leaning forwards into the expanse, it narrowed the two yellow orbs stuck to its head, tracing the features of each marble figure with its gaze. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Behold….their majestiesss </em>
</p><p> </p><p>One sat with his arms held in front of his torso, palms turned towards the chest. Chokmah and Binah- wisdom and understanding- are the third eye, a narrow slit between the brow bone and the scalp watching over the room through the weathered rings of its iris. Rigid and angular bone structure captured the essence of dominance and kingship. Hair parted from the center and flowed down behind his shoulders, settling against the back of an elegant kimono embroidered with dotted swirls along the seams. Sturdy, symmetrical horns protruded above each ear, curling forwards before cresting back and inwards toward the skull.</p><p> </p><p>The King of taking, the sword to tame the chaos, the master of corruption, of wonderful and terrifying secrets. Completely opposite to <b>her</b>.</p><p> </p><p>She was an elegant figure, the perfect image of Keter, Zohar, the Crown chakra. Said to be the most hidden of all hidden things; absolute compassion. The irony of her ‘hidden’ things lie in the fact that they were not hidden at all. Nothing escaped her, no secret withstood her all-seeing gaze. It loathed her more than anything, more than any stupid human who had ever disgraced its existence. The Queen ached with truth. Her truth echoed with sub truths, sowing lies disguised as bountiful grain, lapped up by humanity’s eager gluttony. Many times the sword has gouged from her veracity, and veracity pours forth from the wound like a thick, milky sap; but her chosen, those <em> weaklings </em>, are too busy quenching their thirst, too distracted by her sickly piquancy, and they fail to notice the implicit poison. She is not their salvation, no, her truth will not shield them from being taken. Foolish wisdom traps them in the wake of the great apostate. </p><p> </p><p>There it was, the bane of the sword: the pure eye graces her forehead, easily identified despite the colorless material of the sculpture. <b>Jōgan</b> <em> . </em>It was despised by the King for a reason. Her hands rested in her lap, graceful features carved by melancholia. Even she was not immune to her own poison, in the end. Shallow indentations beneath her lower eyelids were indicative of the permanent markings she had bore in life. Straight bangs were held back by a pair of small horns protruding from her temples, the remaining hair woven into a long braid. Her kimono was decorated by rows of magatama, each a representation of her spiritual power.</p><p> </p><p>It continued to peer at the statues with its beady, yellow eyes, seeking the answer to a question that only recently had it known to ask. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh, dear....you weren't expecting a visit from your Queen….were you, mother? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The plan could not fail because of her! Such a catastrophe was forbidden. No matter how many secrets or truths were hurled from either side of this war, the rules remained above all, and the rules were it- were <em> mother’s </em> - motivation, their purpose behind everything. The Rules: live or die. Take or be taken. The rules themselves held no secrets, yet they were powerful. Insurmountable, even. <em> Or so it thought. </em> That notion went against everything mother had believed, everything she had sought. Mother’s dream, mother's <em> truth </em>, was a farce that led to her downfall. She saw through the transparency of the rules, she saw their complexity. For how could something contain such fundamental omnipotence unless their banality was a facade? </p><p> </p><p>Regular irregularity. How can the Rules which seperate life from death be killed? They cannot. There is no solution other than to bend to their ultimatum. Mother realized this, mother knew ev-</p><p> </p><p>It recoiled, desperate to escape the Queen’s repulsive influence, her dangerous wrath. It conquered deftly the space between reality-as-is and reality-as-imagined, denying the hungry cries of an appetite contended by truth-adjacent lies. It has been here for far too long. It could not- mother could not- fall for such misguided morality again. It should have left as soon as it answered the question, solved the identity riddle. </p><p> </p><p>Black Zetsu fled, back through the portal, back to the safety of the earth, away from that which pontificated the satire of its own sentiment. Denial proved more absolute than the Rules themselves. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>SATURDAY NIGHT - THE SECOND FRONT</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Leaves rustled in the gentle breeze sweeping through the forest. The lush, green vegetation now loomed dark and foreboding ahead of them as night fell and the shadows grew, reaching across the clearing like thin claws. Claws waiting to drag them into their haunted realm where the dead lay abandoned and alone to depart alongside the setting sun into the land beyond. The heat had been blistering all day and the evening brought little relief, the smell of dried blood and decomposing flesh now assaulting their nostrils with each gust of air. A bleak and relentless reminder of the horrors they faced only hours before.</p><p> </p><p>Sweat condensed on his forehead, rolling down the sides of his face and neck as he scanned the treeline for the hundredth time in the past few minutes. His eyes burned, accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain prodding his ocular nerves as he stared intently ahead. The periorbital veins around his eyes were bulging from the strained effort to keep his byakugan activated for the past fourteen hours straight. Another waft of decay battered his olfactory senses, causing a wave of nausea to crash against his entrails. His gaze finally faltered and he swayed for a moment before his legs gave out, sending him tumbling down the sloped outcropping he had been standing on.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Hey, Neji, are you alright?” Kiba lept over to him, eyes narrowed in concern.</p><p> </p><p>He forced himself up onto his feet, clutching his shaking knees to keep from falling again. “Yes...I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can use my nose to sniff out enemies too- we aren’t relying on your eyes alone,” he said. “Let me take over for awhile; you go see the medical core.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really, it’s alright. I just need to rest for a moment.” </p><p> </p><p>Kiba was having none of it and dragged him away from his post by the arms, practically shoving him down onto the ground. He grabbed a blanket and a pillow that were laying nearby and proceeded to tuck Neji in, snug as a bug in a rug. It was the most aggressive care taking he had ever been subjected to, and Neji felt ridiculous. This was too much. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you don’t need me to take you to the medical core?” Kiba asked again. “It sure seems like you could use it.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re getting on my nerves, Kiba. I told you, I’m going to be fine,” he growled. </p><p> </p><p>“Just admit it, you totally overexerted yourself. You flopped over like a damsel in distress! Don’t be such a tryhard, there’s no need to show off in front of your subordinates,” Kiba teased. </p><p> </p><p>Neji turned his head to the side to look at Kiba. “Just shut up already, Kiba!”</p><p> </p><p>Akamaru whimpered beneath Neji’s harsh glare, and Kiba scoffed at the exchange. “What the hell, you can’t even tell the difference between me and Akamaru? Your visual prowess is supposed to be-” </p><p> </p><p>Neji didn’t hear the rest of what Kiba was saying, because suddenly there was a weight on his chest that nearly knocked the wind out of him. A heavy thud announced the arrival of whoever had just landed on top of him. Was this an ambush? No, he would have been stabbed or something. The person groaned and rolled onto the ground, leaving a huge splotch of blood behind on his vest. Panicking for a moment, he examined their torso, but found no signs of external wounds. It was then that he finally realized <em> who </em> was behind this vicious aerial attack. The blood was concerning, but his irritation overshadowed any worry for the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here?” Neji demanded an answer. “Five words or less.”</p><p> </p><p>Aratani pursed her lips for a moment as she thought. “Oout for uh walk….bitch.” She barely croaked out the response, sounding like some ancient hermetic guru who’d never heard of water and smoked herbs in a dank cave year-round. Ara blinked at him nonchalantly, like that was the most rational answer she could have given. He met her gaze with equal indifference, and her cheeks began to heat up despite their pallor. “I didn’t put a h-hiraishin formula on you, ookay, that would be c-creepy.” </p><p> </p><p>Neji closed his eyes and took a deep breath before sitting up on his hands. Of course she had done something like that, using a forbidden jutsu. “How did...I don’t even want to know, actually. Never mind.” </p><p> </p><p>“Glad t’ see yuh too, K-king Cranky Poo.” It sounded like there was a frog in her throat, a frog the likes of Gamabunta, Naruto’s geezer toad sage. She began rubbing her eyes and Akamaru whimpered, pouncing on her face and attacking it with his tongue. It was revolting. “Aat leest <em> some </em>one iss happy t’ see me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, don’t forget about me! How come I didn’t get a formula too?” Kiba asked. </p><p> </p><p>“M-maybe you did ‘nd just...didn’t...” Ara seemed to have lost her voice completely. About time.</p><p> </p><p>She opened her eyes to gaze up at the sky, and that’s when he noticed it. They were...different. That floral pattern had vanished, along with her pupils. Neji also noted that she seemed oddly calm given the situation, and the fact that she had likely witnessed the same degree of carnage as he had that day. This wasn’t the reaction he would have expected from her. She should have been hysterical in some form or another. Ara’s head lulled to the side and she caught onto his perplexed expression. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san...what happened to your eyes?”</p><p> </p><p>He watched as her face fell, confusion and fear breaking through her un-bothered exterior. Just as he had begun to suspect, she was the opposite of fine. Something really terrible must have happened. She began crying silently, because she was struggling to breathe, and he didn’t know what to do or say. So, instead of saying anything he removed the blanket from himself and pulled her towards him so that she was sitting between his legs. She rested her head back onto his chest and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she continued to cry, making a strange wheezing and gurgling sound. Akamaru whined and started sniffing her for injuries, reminding Neji of the fact that he was publicly displaying affection in front of not only Kiba but also several of the shinobi he was in charge of. </p><p> </p><p>As if on cue with his realization, Kiba decided to join in by sitting way too close to Neji, followed by the arrival of Shino and Hinata. The latter two had only intended to report in quickly, but upon seeing the strange scene and their distressed comrade decided to join what was now becoming a small pow-wow as well. And this is how Neji found himself awkwardly cuddling the Regimental Captain in front of his entire platoon- as pink as the day he’d been born- while Hinata berated him for somehow doing the wrong thing. Between this and the last time he had tried to console Aratani and Hinata, it was starting to seem like Neji was just not cut out for dealing with emotionally distressed people.</p><p> </p><p>“Neji-nii, what are you doing? Can’t you see how low her chakra is?! She is covered in blood, too!” Hinata yelled, kneeling down to remove his arms from around the woman. “Kami, a pat on the head and a ‘tootsie’ doesn’t fix everything!”</p><p> </p><p>Damn her for bringing that up again. As if he wasn’t already embarrassed enough by his mounting worry for the individual in question. If it weren’t for the fact that his nervous system was already fried from the events of the day, he would have gone into a full-blown panic as soon as Ara appeared. Which would have definitely exposed the feelings he was trying to supress. As it was, however, he was just too frazzled in general to notice right away that she was in a critical condition. On top of that, his byakugan was still out of commission and he could barely even see normally. The only reason he caught the difference in her eyes was because, for one, it was an extremely obvious and marked change. How had he not noticed she was knocking on death’s door this whole time?</p><p> </p><p>“Dude, he couldn’t even tell me and Akamaru apart, so probably because he’s blind as a bat,” Kiba laughed. </p><p> </p><p>“Dammit you two! Neither of you have any regard for yourselves,” Hinata said, referring to both her cousin and her friend, as she sat Ara upright and began poking around her torso to check for internal wounds. “And what’s your excuse then, Kiba?”</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn’t have one, especially considering the fact that bats aren’t blind. On the contrary, bats have excellent eyesight, as well as echolocation which allows-” Shino began. </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up Shino, nobody cares! Save your insect lessons for some other time,” Kiba complained.</p><p> </p><p>“Bats are mammals, you idiot!” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yeah? Well I’ve never seen a bat with titties! Have you, Mr. Smarty Pants?” </p><p> </p><p>Ara, who was now sitting directly in front of Neji while Hinata continued to prod, erupted into a fit of laughter in response to Kiba’s ridiculous question. Or rather, she tried too. The only thing that actually erupted from her was more of the blood that had pooled in her lungs earlier. Even though the puncture from her rib was already healed, the fluid hadn’t yet cleared out. Hinata shoved Neji out of the way so she could pound on Ara’s upper back, causing him to knock into Kiba and send them both onto the ground. </p><p> </p><p>Kiba, who was now pinned underneath Neji, decided to trap them in an embrace so that the Hyuga couldn’t escape. “Aww, Neji-kun, is it our turn to cuddle now?” </p><p> </p><p>“If you don’t stop talking right the fuck now, I am going to kill you,” Neji hissed.</p><p> </p><p>While they were wrestling, Hinata continued to burp Ara, a small puddle forming as more and more of the crimson slime was expelled from her chest. Kiba eventually let go of Neji and they both watched in awe and disgust as Ara emptied herself out. Very helpful, as usual. When the last of the gunk was coughed up, Hinata sent Kiba to fetch water. Neji, Shino, and Hinata were debating about whether or not they should take her to the medical core or call a medic directly to them, when Neji received an officer-level broadcast from the sensory unit. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We have just discovered that white zetsu are disguising themselves within our ranks and attacking unsuspecting individuals. They are using a transformation jutsu that allows them to replicate their victim’s chakra, so sensing them out that way is useless….” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The message continued as Neji met eyes with increasingly lucid Ara, the only other person nearby who would have heard the news as well. </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>SATURDAY NIGHT- TOBI'S MAN CAVE</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Black Zetsu prided itself on being a master manipulator, but even so it couldn’t help admitting that this time it had gotten <em> extremely </em> lucky. While Obito was busy ranting and raving about this tiny woman who had come out of nowhere and derailed his plans, it had been frantically searching those useless white zetsu, hoping that at least one of the idiots had managed to steal a sliver of her chakra. Unknown to Obito, Black Zetsu had taken notice of her before the enemy even arrived at the fronts. It had been spying on each division while they traveled, and she immediately stood out thanks to her unique chakra. Chakra that reminded it of only one other being, of someone dear. So, while the humans were busy fighting and what not, Black Zetsu had taken the opportunity to figure out who she was.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Unexpected, yesss, but no match for me, for our secretsss. Fret not, mother….I already have a new plan…. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>All it needed now was a small amount of her sweet, sweet chakra. Unfortunately that was expecting too much of the other zetsu, and not a single one of the idiots had gotten any. It was trying to think of the easiest way to gather some when Obito finally got to the important part of his story. Apparently, she had entered some special chakra mode to battle the Gedo statue, but in her preparations to attack was hit by one of the statue’s chakra-draining orbs.  </p><p> </p><p>“It just makes no sense, though, how she knew anything at all. I’ve never seen or heard of her before.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tobi, you’re certain the statue absorbed some of her chakra?” Zetsu asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. Why? Do you know who she is?”</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t going to tell him who she <em> really </em> was. It couldn’t, not without revealing mother or the fact that it was not actually Madara Uchiha’s will. But, it supposed that telling Obito who she was as a ‘human’ would suffice. “Lord Gaara’s second in command. A jonin from the leaf, distant relative of the Hyuga; a powerful kunoichi” </p><p> </p><p>“That can’t be all. There has to be more to it. Again, how could she-”</p><p> </p><p>“Tobi, do not concern yourself with such things,” Zetsu cut him off. “I have already adjusted our plans to accommodate her interference. I promise, you will have the nine-tails by Tuesday.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m getting impatient, Zetsu.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I understand. But thanks to our statue here, she is hardly an issue. All I need to do is extract some of her chakra from it.” </p><p> </p><p>“What are you planning on doing with it?”</p><p> </p><p>“You will see. I am the Master’s will, a physical manifestation of the dream you both share. Trust in me, <em> Obito </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine. So I am just supposed to do what, then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Today, I will go facilitate Naruto and Killer B’s release. You will go and tell Kabuto the revised plans. Tomorrow, send Itachi Uchiha after the jinchuriki-”</p><p> </p><p>“We both know that will fail,” Tobi commented. </p><p> </p><p>“Indeed, but it will buy us time and keep our snake friend happy. The next part is where I require your trust. You must tell Kabuto exactly what I am about to tell you, word for word.” </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, I’m listening.”</p><p> </p><p>Black Zetsu contorted into its perverse smile. “Good. Tell Kabuto to keep Lord Mu hidden- do not send him out against Lord Gaara Tomorrow. Let them fight the other three, let them think that they have won. Once the reanimated Kage are defeated, he will summon the Master by forcing Nagato to perform the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. When the Master is fully revived, I will ensure that Naruto is there to face him <em> alone </em>….” </p><p> </p><p>Obito nodded in understanding, seeming to catch on to what it was implying at last. “You’re sure this can all be done by Tuesday?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm, yes. The day after tomorrow, the nine-tails will be ours.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>SUNDAY -  THE SECOND FRONT</b>
</p><p> </p><p>A lung and a half later, and Ara had already started feeling better. Despite the others' protests, she was already up and about only thirty minutes after arriving. There was just no way she could have ignored the intel about phonies going around and murdering their shinobi. So, she had run off before anyone could stop her and started taking down the imposters. Which shocked everyone, because they weren’t able to tell them apart from regular shinobi. Ara couldn’t understand how, seeing as the things visibly radiated malevolence in the form of a dark, reddish aura. Like, literally, she could <em> see </em> their hatred. But for some reason no one else could, and she spent the rest of the night scouring the entire division for the bastards. </p><p> </p><p>It was midmorning by the time she made it back to the location she’d started in, where Neji’s unit was stationed. She had stopped and jumped in a river on her way there, to try and get all of the blood out of her clothing. Which had mostly worked. Neji, Hinata, and Kiba were standing and discussing something serious when she strolled up to them, dripping wet and grinning ear to ear. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s good, my dudes?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing is good. We are at <em> war </em>,” Neji replied. </p><p> </p><p>“Touche, I meant what is <em> going on </em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“Our scouts are being caught in giant spiderwebs, we’re heading out to investigate,” Neji finally answered. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san, you should go with Neji. I can stay here and watch over things,” Hinata suggested. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean, I could use some help too,” Kiba groaned. </p><p> </p><p>“Kiba, you know precisely why she needs to go with Neji and not with you,” Hinata said. </p><p> </p><p>“Why, so he can jerk off with someone to talk to?”</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Ara burst out laughing, Neji grabbed her arm and started dragging her away from the other two. He was really angry, she could practically hear his jaw cracking from the force of him clenching. Not exactly a mood that made her look forward to being alone in a forest with the guy. Instead of risking provoking him further by opening her mouth, Ara kept silent as he led her past the treeline. Eventually he let go of her arm, realizing that she wasn’t resisting, and they walked deeper into the woods. </p><p> </p><p>Neji came to a halt in front of a large oak tree covered in thin silk threads. She reached out and touched one, flinching from the stinging sensation and trying to pull her hand away. That was when she noticed it slowly sipping away at her chakra, and looked to Neji for help. He was just watching, amused, while this stringy secretion tried to eat her life force. She was about to yell at him when his hand darted out and sliced the thread, severing its connection to whatever was thirsting for chakra. </p><p> </p><p>“Only the gentle fist can cut through these,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Contrary to how they look, these aren’t ordinary spider webs.” </p><p> </p><p>“What’s a spider?” </p><p> </p><p>He stared at her with his signature look of pretension. “What? You...never mind, I’ll let Shino educate you later. We need to cut these down, and free anyone trapped inside of them.”</p><p> </p><p>Sensing that something about all of this was making him nervous, she decided to just play along. He definitely hadn’t given her all the details. They resumed their exploration, coming across a few trapped shinobi in the process, but mostly they were just jumping through the trees like glorified landscapers. Ara tried to ask him questions about what had happened the previous day, who they fought, if everyone was okay, etc., but he either didn’t answer or did so with a single word. She was growing painfully bored, and also starting to wonder why she hadn’t been contacted a single time by her own command. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, so what is a sp-” she started to ask.</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-san, be quiet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why, did you hear something?” She whispered. </p><p> </p><p>“No, I just want you to be quiet.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Damn, alright. Tell me how you really feel. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>They continued on in silence for the next several minutes. Ara began to pick up on another chakra somewhere in the distance, but didn’t immediately say anything. The closer they got, however, the more sinister it felt. Neji seemed to have sensed it as well, putting a hand up for her to stop moving. She disobeyed, thinking that she’d caught a glimpse of the person ahead, and lept out into the open. Immediately she was pierced in the stomach by a long, gold arrow. </p><p> </p><p>“Fucking OUCH!” She hissed and ripped the stupid thing out of her, already angry and leaking chakra. </p><p> </p><p>Neji, apparently aware of what was going on, darted away to ambush their attacker from behind while they were distracted with her. Said attacker made himself visible as soon as Ara was hit, and stood in a tree above her in all of his ugly glory. He looked like a demon, with a third eye on his forehead, bright red skin, and six arms. Also, a massive bow racked with multiple arrows. Probably what she’d been shot with. </p><p> </p><p>“What? How can you just stand there after I’ve shot you? It didn’t even knock you back!” He screamed at her, sounding really upset about the fact that she wasn’t a one-hit kill. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you a spider?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m Kidomaru! Now fuck off, I’m here to kill Neji.” </p><p> </p><p>Kidomaru dismissed her and turned around to face Neji, who was now standing in the tree behind him. He opened his mouth wide and spewed a barrage of golden projectiles at her companion, but Neji parried them away with ease using his gentle fists. Instead of jumping into action, Ara was mesmerized as she stood and watched his graceful movements. It was the first time she’d seen Neji in his element. When he realized the assault was not going to succeed, Kidomaru condensed the objects into a singular stream of golden, metallic goo. Ara honestly had no idea what the stuff was- maybe it was spider poop. One again, Neji easily countered the move, using his eight-trigrams air palm to force the substance right back at Kidomaru. </p><p> </p><p>It blew her away. Literally, because she was standing directly behind darth spiderman. </p><p> </p><p>Groaning, she pushed Kidomaru off of her and stood up. He was no longer demonic looking, and instead looked like an actual human. Well, ignoring the extra four arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Nice one! Though, you didn’t need to jump through all those hoops just to deck me,” Ara teased.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t hit you on purpose. I expected you to move away, like any sane person would,” Neji responded harshly. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, seriously? If there’s something you need to say then <em> say it </em>, Neji!” </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly the world around them shifted. Ara felt a strange sensation in her limbs, as if she was separating from her body, and momentarily blacked out. When she came to a second later, she was still facing off with Neji. Only now they were inside of a giant barrier along with Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji. They all exchanged looks of confusion. Despite the weirdness, however, Ara had not forgotten their unfinished spat. She marched up to Neji and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen up, I don’t care what just happened, you’re not getting away from this! What’s your problem?!” </p><p> </p><p>She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Ara-san, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but we really can’t be fighting each other right now,” Shikamaru said. </p><p> </p><p>“Looks like Neji took the term ‘disappointing the wife’ literally,” Kiba mocked. </p><p> </p><p>“Kiba, shut the hell up!” Neji barked back at him before holding his hands up in surrender. “Ara-san, I apologize, we can discuss this later. Please.” </p><p> </p><p>Letting go of his shirt, she moved her hand down to his chest and pushed him away. “Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>Setting her feelings aside, she used her byakugan to start examining everything around them. Their chakra appeared normal, but the barrier was impenetrable. Something else was off, though. Even though everyone’s chakra flow looked the way it should have, it was almost...<em> too </em> perfect. Upon closer inspection, she realized that everyone’s looked identical regardless of their movements or emotions. As if they were all doing the exact same thing, which they were not. There was also the matter of how they had ended up in this place without physically moving. </p><p> </p><p>“We aren’t really here,” she said to no one in particular. </p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Shikamaru asked. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean, we aren’t here, not physically. Neji, look at our chakra. Notice how mine doesn’t change even if I do this,” she paused, gathering lightning in her palm. “Our bodies are somewhere else. Incapacitated, probably.” </p><p> </p><p>“Then what is all this?” Choji asked, gesturing to his and everyone else’s body. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, my guess is that it could be our...souls? Or something like that. I’m thinking of some sort of suspended animation,” she replied. That was when they all noticed the four other people inside of the barrier. She recognized one of them as Kidomaru, but the rest were unfamiliar. A fat guy, a guy with two heads, and some bitch with a flute. “Who the fuck are they?” </p><p> </p><p>“Back when Sasuke first defected from the village, us four were part of the ‘Sasuke Recovery Mission’ along with Naruto to try and bring him back. We ran into these guys and they nearly killed us, but we managed to win in the end. Seems they’ve been holding a grudge all this time,” Shikamaru explained. “What a drag.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re the Sound Four, and we’ve trapped your souls with ours so we can torture you while your mortal bodies wither away!” The guy with two heads yelled. </p><p> </p><p>“First of all, I don’t give a shit. Second, that is a super lame group name. Third, you haven’t trapped us at all,” Ara responded, laughing. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you know how to get us out of here?” Shikamaru asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, theoretically we just need to touch ourselves....” </p><p> </p><p>Ara didn’t notice that she’d only said half of her completed thought, because she was distracted by the four massive gateways being summoned by the enemies. After a few moments of nothing else happening, she refocused on her own group to find that they were all sweating and staring at her awkwardly. Except for Kiba, who was grinning mischievously, like she’d given him the best news ever. </p><p> </p><p>“How is beating our meat going to free our souls?” Kiba asked. “Not that I’m against a little hand-to-gland combat.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, <em> hell </em> no!” Neji seemed offended, and wouldn’t look at anyone. </p><p> </p><p>“Kiba, I don’t think playing five-against-one is the strategy here,” Choji commented.</p><p> </p><p>“Philosophically, there are several arguments as to how such carnal acts could be spiritually freeing,” Shikamaru pointed out. “Though I don’t see them being literal.”</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, it makes sense. It’s like a sacrifice. Sacrificing some sperm to the God of lonely nights in exchange for-”</p><p> </p><p>“W-what are you talking about?” Ara interrupted Kiba, turning pink. What perverted things to suggest, especially in a group setting, and while they’re all at risk of dying permanently. “Would you guys please think with the head on your shoulders instead of your dicks?”</p><p> </p><p>Shikamaru laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, to be fair, you said ‘we just have to touch ourselves’ and then stopped talking.”</p><p> </p><p>Turning even redder, Ara started feeling uncomfortably hot. She was trying not to think about what they had probably all been thinking about. This was like a reverse harem. Definitely inappropriate for the current situation. </p><p> </p><p>“Um, yeah, we do!” She blurted out. “With chakra, is what I meant to say. We have to...touch ourselves, with chakra. That should ground us back in the physical world.” </p><p> </p><p>Everyone relaxed, relief evident in their expressions. Except, once again, for Kiba. He was pouting, but they didn’t have time to deal with his antics any longer. If their bodies hadn’t already died, they probably would soon. </p><p> </p><p>“So, I’m assuming you mean chakra from outside of the barrier,” Shikamaru said. “Would a psychic transmission work?” </p><p> </p><p>She hadn't actually gotten that far. However, he raised a valid point. It was the same way their Sensor Division communicated to everyone: as long as you knew someone's location, you could telepathically transmit a message to them using your chakra. The chakra used would travel at virtually the speed of light towards your target, allowing them to hear the message instantaneously. </p><p> </p><p>“Actually, yeah, that should work-” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Quit foiling our plans and fight us already!” Flute bitch yelled. She started playing some tune that was surprisingly catchy and increasingly familiar to Ara. </p><p> </p><p>Ara started bobbing her head to the beat, not noticing that everyone else was unable to move. Soon she was closing her eyes and dancing a slow and dramatic dance, keeping pace with the rhythm as it reverberated with the core of her being. When Tayuya neared the first chorus Ara darted forwards and spread her arms like wings, beginning to sing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Near, far, wherever you are </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I believe that the heart does go on </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Once more you open the door </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And you're here in my heart </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And my heart will go on and on </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Turning to Neji as she sang the last line, she clutched one hand to her chest and extended the other towards him like an invitation. Tayuya- flute bitch- had no idea what was going on, but appreciated the fact that someone else recognized the music. So, she went along with it, and kept playing while Ara continued to sing along. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Love can touch us one time </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And last for a lifetime </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And never let go 'til we're gone </em>
</p><p> </p><p>This was horribly embarrassing for Neji. He also couldn’t tell if she was confessing to him or just being stupid. Or both. Whatever the case, he absolutely hated it. Approaching the end of the song, Ara came up and embraced Neji, intertwining their hands and forcing his limbs to move along with hers. Actually, Aratani wasn’t forcing him- Tayuya was, because they were <em> both </em> enjoying his humiliation. Kiba was laughing his ass off, since he could unfortunately still move his mouth, while Choji and Shikamaru tried to hide their own amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“Would you cut it out already!” Neji hissed as Ara forced him to twirl around. She winked at him and belted out the final chorus.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You're here, there's nothing I fear </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And I know that my heart will go on </em>
</p><p>
  <em> We'll stay forever this way </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You are safe in my heart and </em>
</p><p>
  <em> My heart will go on and on </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The genjutsu finally released. Tayuya was crying with laughter, the rest of the sound four too perplexed to even react to the situation. Neji closed his eyes and waited for Ara to let go of him, afraid that he might do something violent if he moved on his own. </p><p> </p><p>“We are trapped with four shinobi who reanimated themselves just to get revenge, and yet somehow you are still the most insane person here,” Neji said.</p><p> </p><p>Standing up on her toes, Ara leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I can show you how crazy I really am once we get out of here,” she whispered. </p><p> </p><p>Now she was really pushing it. She knew this, but couldn’t resist. Neji, however, had finally had enough, and shoved her off of him. He turned away from the group and covered his face, desperately trying to quell his unwelcome arousal before it became a physical problem. Satisfied with herself, Ara turned to face the group.</p><p> </p><p>“Ok, it's probably about time we got out of here.” </p><p> </p><p>Instructing them all to link hands and kumbaya, Ara concentrated her chakra and her thoughts on Ino. She struggled unsuccessfully for several seconds before establishing a connection. </p><p> </p><p>“Ino?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ara-chan, is that you? Where are you guys, we’ve been looking everywhere! Wait, how are you doing this? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I have no idea, but I’m sure Shikamaru can figure it out once we leave. Release!”</p><p> </p><p>That strange out of body sensation took over her senses once again, and before too long Ara was waking up in her real body alongside Neji and Kiba. Hinata was crying, and just about strangled them all with hugs. Apparently they had been very close to death. Thankfully, Hinata and Shino had managed to keep their chakra flowing the whole time they’d been gone, but poor Shino was now unconscious from the effort. Neji was refusing to make eye contact with Ara, and the tension between them was palpable. She couldn’t even remember why this…’feud’, if you could call it that, had started in the first place. Maybe back before the rally, when he first started acting weird? Seemed like a long time to hold onto whatever that was. </p><p> </p><p>Another problem needed to be addressed as well. Now that Ara was openly using more of her abilities, people were starting to ask questions. Especially her friends. How was she supposed to explain to Ino why she was able to use an ability that was supposedly unique to the Yamanaka clan? The truth was that her species had natural telepathic capabilities, but Ino didn’t know that she wasn’t human. In fact, out of all of her friends, only Neji, Gaara, and recently Shikamaru knew about who she was. Shikamaru only knew because he was a commander, and thus was deemed ‘need-to-know’ back when she formally involved herself with the conflict. </p><p> </p><p>Could she just...tell them? She would probably have to at some point, anyways. Now that her Tenseigan is apparently gone, she doesn’t have many ‘normal’ jutsu to use. Most of her natural abilities- which involved space-time manipulation and quantum-level physical distortions- just weren’t possible while her chakra was limited to such a degree. Furthermore, said capabilities could be potentially apocalyptic if she used them here. The few times she had exercised her full powers were, conveniently, on barren planets. For example, when she battled the two Otsutsuki she’d run into while trying to locate Earth, the skirmish had ended with nearly the entire planet destroyed. Though, perhaps there were a few things she could try...as long as she scaled them down. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan? Are you with me?” Hinata was waving a hand in front of her face. “You stopped breathing.” </p><p> </p><p>Ara sighed. What a strange habit, forgetting to breathe whenever she thought too hard. She didn’t even know why or when she’d started doing that. “Yeah, sorry, I was just….thinking.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ryo for your thoughts?” </p><p> </p><p>She debated coming clean, ultimately deciding to share only a portion of the truth for now. “My eyes...um, my Tenseigan. It's gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I was going to ask why your irises had changed...what do you mean, though? You can just lose a dojutsu like that?” </p><p> </p><p>“Apparently. I was told a while back that a powerful enough attack could destroy it, but it never happened to me so I just kind of...didn’t believe it. Until now, that is.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Turns out Toneri wasn’t fucking with me about that.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“That’s...I’m sorry, Ara-chan.” </p><p> </p><p>Waving her off, she smiled. “It's fine, I’ll get over it. Besides, it was totally overrated anyways.” This wasn’t a total lie. Overall, it was an ability she hadn’t really used much, it just happened to come in handy recently because she could use the dojutsu even with her limited chakra. Suffice to say, Ara would be missing the aesthetic traits more than the flashy chakra mode. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, if you say so…”</p><p> </p><p>Neji stood up abruptly, and started trying to walk away, but Ara jumped up and caught his arm to stop him. He glanced back at her nervously, unsure of whether or not he should run for his life. She stood there smiling innocently, like she was waiting for him to say something. </p><p> </p><p>“Did you forget about that thing we needed to talk about? You seemed really insistent earlier,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>Screaming internally, he knew there was no getting out of this. Kiba and Hinata were already giving them cheeky looks. “Right. Yes. Let’s go somewhere private.”</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps he shouldn’t have said that, because now Kiba was giving him the most infuriatingly smug look he had ever seen. That fucker. Hesitating longer would just draw more unwanted scrutiny, so Neji marched off in the direction of the woods. He didn’t bother checking if Ara was following or not, because the chances of her passing up this opportunity were zero. They entered the forest once again, and Neji began leading her towards a secluded spot he had found the previous day. </p><p> </p><p>It was an alcove hidden behind a small waterfall that connected to the river running through this area of the peninsula. The noise from the current had made it a perfect spot for him to stalk the enemy from the day before. It also allowed him to convene with some of their scouts without risk of being detected, thanks to the easy placement of a barrier jutsu using its natural structure. Neji climbed onto the rocky embankment, slipping behind the sheath of water and into the dim space. Ara joined him a few seconds later, and inspected the interior. </p><p> </p><p>“So,” she began, clasping her hands together. “Wanna tell me what your deal is? You’ve been acting weird since I saw you in Kumo. If I did something wrong, just tell me. Please.”</p><p> </p><p>No, he really did not. Neji didn’t even know what to say, so he opened his mouth and waited for something to come out. “I...feel a strange emotion towards you.”</p><p> </p><p>“What. Respect?”</p><p> </p><p>“Never,” he snapped. A mistake, as being hostile wasn’t going to help anything. </p><p> </p><p>Ara sighed in exasperation. “Look. My body is very attracted to your body. But when you speak, my brain gets angry, you know!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I feel the same way!” He didn’t usually raise his voice, and the way it echoed faintly within the small cavern made him uncomfortable. </p><p> </p><p>They faced off, both pissed and wondering if the other was going to attack. Ara was the first one to break the silence. </p><p> </p><p>“Then why are we even talking?” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Essin’ the dee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>"Are you serious? Right in front of my salad??"</strong> </em>
</p><p>- Private Lessons 3</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Chapter X: Essin' the Dee</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Update as of 7/20/2020</strong>
</p><p>In light of recent events in the fanfiction community and the Naruto fandom, I have decided to remove the sections of my story containing explicit sexual activities. I myself am 21 years old, and even though Neji is canonically 'of legal age' at the end of Shippuden(18), I have decided that I do not want to host any explicit content involving teenagers, period, out of solidarity for all of the minors in this fandom - who may presently feel unsafe and uncomfortable. Besides, it just so happens that IRL I am ace, but more importantly am a victim of pedophilia, grooming, and sexual violence. If you were wondering, yes, this is what the majority of my experience with PSTD stems from - which is prominent later on during the story as it becomes more serious.</p><p> </p><p>There is a rampant issue in fandom culture as a whole with blatant or thinly-veiled pedophilia, especially in fanfiction works. In fact, pedophilia is disturbingly common in general, on a global scale. I refuse to condone or support this kind of behavior, and I don't think there is any need to explain why. Just like there is no need for a debate about the subject. Frankly, I'm appalled by the amount of adults in this fandom who are apologizing for or sympathizing with these pedophiles. So, on the off-chance that anything in this scene could potentially encourage, validate, and in turn perpetuate the violent thoughts and actions of these sick fucks, I'm just removing this whole scene. </p><p> </p><p>As an adult, I feel like it is part of my duty - as it is with any other respectable adult in our society - to support the general welfare of the youngest generations/children in my community, in whatever way I can. Thanks to the magic of the internet, that community now extends to this fandom. I don't give a single shit whether or not you think a fictional character 'counts' as a person or not in this context. Real or fictional, these kinds of stories and depictions of sexual violence against minors <em>have an effect on the real world.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>If you're an adult reading this and at any point have felt personally attacked, guilty, uncomfortable, angry/irritated, have thought that it isn't your problem, or have had any other bullshit reaction: take a hard look at yourself. If you're fully aware of all of this and choose to continue to condone it? Get mental help, or go fuck yourself. Either is fine.</strong>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The CEO of Earth Will See You Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A series of very, very unfortunate events. Bada bing, bada boom. Bold italic is an external voice in pov-character's head. First scene is Kurama, last scene is....the hash slinging slasher.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “<strong>χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά - </strong> <strong>Nothing beautiful without struggle.”</strong> </em>
</p><p>― Plato, The Republic</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 15: The CEO of Earth Will See You Now</b> </span>
</p><p>
  <b>SUNDAY NIGHT - NEAR THE FIRST FRONT</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Naruto sprinted at full-speed across the tablelands alongside Killer B, using his sage mode to light their way. They had just escaped from Genbu, a giant domesticated turtle the size of an island, where both jinchuriki had been trapped and hidden away for their safety. While there, Naruto faced the greatest enemy he would ever encounter: himself. His dark form, his inner hatred, an amalgamation of all the suppressed resentment he felt throughout his life. Resentment towards his parents for cursing him with the Kyuubi, his village for rejecting him due to circumstances beyond his control, his elders- people who claimed to have cared deeply for his parents- for abandoning him as a child and leaving him to face everything alone. </p><p> </p><p>Truthfully, Naruto had nearly lost the battle. He was on the brink of being consumed by Kurama’s and his own darkness when his mother, Kushina, appeared to him. She told him of her and his father’s sacrifice, how they had no other choice. He finally accepted his dark counterpart as part of himself, and with that he realized that his hatred had been misdirected. The people in his life were victims of circumstance, just as he was. It isn’t them that he should hate, it isn't even Kurama that he should hate. The real enemies were those who saw things such as the tailed beasts and sought to exploit their power, to control and oppress whomever they deemed as ‘lesser than’. Those who would sacrifice others for personal gain.</p><p> </p><p>Absolute power corrupts absolutely.</p><p> </p><p>This revelation allowed Naruto to empathize with Kurama, to combine their perspectives into a mutual, more beneficial hatred. Through this connection they formed a pact to use their power for righteous vengeance, unlocking the Nine-Tails Chakra mode and Kurama Mode. The former allowed Naruto access to nearly the entire reservoir of Kurama’s chakra, while the latter granted full access and synchronized their hearts to unlock additional abilities. With this new union they decided to face Madara and the Akatsuki themselves. It had to be Naruto, he was the only one who could bring them salvation. This redefined hatred had further strengthened his Will of Fire; he would willingly sacrifice himself for the good of the many and the safety of the villages.</p><p> </p><p>As they ran, Naruto picked up on scattered transmissions from the sensor cores of several divisions. The white zetsu had infiltrated their ranks, spreading mistrust and doubt like a disease and turning their shinobi against one another. However, it appeared that one particular kunoichi- a recent arrival in the leaf- was able to sense the impostors, and was going to be taking care of the issue. Naruto hadn’t had the chance to get to know Aratani Hoseki very well, but from the few interactions they did have he could tell that she was one of the good ones, so to speak. Her resolve was similar to his own, although the events that lead her to develop such reasoning were mysterious and unknown to him. There was something about her that always seemed...different, when compared to everyone else. But he could never quite put his finger on what it was.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto and B stopped dead in their tracks when something slammed into the ground in front of them, cracking and shaking the ground beneath their feet. When the dust cloud settled, they came face-to-face with Lady Tsunade and the Raikage, both of whom looked <em> pissed </em>. Well, Naruto expected something like this after pulling off what was essentially a prison-break. </p><p> </p><p>“Granny?” He asked, unsure of whether or not he was hallucinating. </p><p> </p><p>“Whaaa…b-buu...bra!” Killer B exclaimed, immediately flustered by the Hokage’s ample cleavage. Which was on full display. People ragged on Naruto for being an idiot, but this fool made him seem more like some kind of Neji Hyuga-level genius. </p><p> </p><p>“B! Get your eyes up here right now, have some respect for the Hokage!” The Raikage roared in outrage at his younger brother’s behavior.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no, bro! I’m just shocked, that’s all. I meant no offense, it's just that the Hokage’s jugs are definitely immense!” Killer B responded, making finger guns at her chest for emphasis. </p><p> </p><p>“Now is not the time for your rapping nonsense! We’re here to stop you, you <em> will </em> not pass!”</p><p> </p><p>Naruto bristled. He really didn’t want to have to fight Granny Tsunade <em> or </em> the Raikage, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let them get in the way of his goal. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Narutooo, we cannot let them stop us. Use our strength. Use our hate.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“I know why you’re doing this. If the enemy captures me, they’ll complete their jutsu and the world will end,” Naruto began.</p><p> </p><p>“So then why are you doing this? Are you some kind of fool?!” The Raikage interjected, pointing an accusatory finger at him. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m not a fool. I’m <em> sick </em> and <em> tired </em> of being treated like some idiot. I refuse to sit back while people die for me, while people fight against the thing I should be fighting myself. I’m fed up with these villains and their insatiable need for power, I’m tired of them exploiting everything that they can get their hands on! If I back down now then I’m giving them what they want, I’m letting them control me, letting them control Kurama, letting them control everyone through fear!” </p><p> </p><p>His chest was heaving, his words laced with righteous fury and dripping with venomous hate. Tsunade had never seen Naruto like this, she hardly recognized him. Even the Raikage was caught off guard by the incomprehensible rage fueling his speech. </p><p> </p><p>“I <em> hate </em> them. I hate everyone who <em> dares </em> to wield such power for the purposes of destruction, subjugation, inflicting pain. My hatred is what motivates me, and my <em> Will of Fire </em>- my love for the people in my life, for everyone- is what will empower me to win this war. I’m not protecting anyone by allowing them to sacrifice themselves for me! I don’t run away and I don’t go back on my word; that is my ninja way.”</p><p> </p><p>“Enough!” The Raikage roared, “I won’t let you pass!” </p><p> </p><p>“Then I’ll just have to hate you too.” </p><p> </p><p>A surge of chakra flooded into his body, the bright yellow sage-mode cloak turning a sinister shade of crimson. He charged at the Raikage, but to his surprise the man easily matched his speed while tacking on a powerful punch headed right for Naruto’s chest. He crossed his forearms defensively to block the attack, but the force of the blow still sent him skidding back nearly fifty meters. The Raikage could keep up with him even in Kurama mode. This was going to be a problem. He needed to avoid direct hits. </p><p> </p><p>“Granny Tsunade, I know you understand, I'm the only one who can-”</p><p> </p><p>“Naruto, I’m part of the Allied Shinobi Forces. I am under direct orders to stop you. Even though I’m still Hokage, I cannot act independently on this matter,” Tsunade said, cutting him off. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>They do not understand, Narutoo. They do not understand our hatred or our purpose, they are too naive.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Faster, he would just have to be faster. He wasn’t going to use Kurama Mode, but beyond that he couldn’t hold himself back against these two, not if he wanted to escape. It pained him to have to fight like this, but that pain was nothing compared to the pain he felt knowing that his comrades might die because of his inaction. Naruto darted around as fast as he could trying to get around the Raikage, but the man was still too quick and kept perfect pace with him. </p><p> </p><p>They faced off, and the Raikage started talking about Minato. About his father. About how his dad, even with all of his strength, had ultimately still failed. How the tailed beasts could not be trusted, that they needed to be controlled. How he should learn from his father’s failure. He continued to drone on until Naruto’s rage hit a fever pitch, until he couldn’t bear it anymore. </p><p> </p><p>“STOP! Stop talking about my father. He didn’t fail anyone, he sacrificed himself for his village. You failed yourselves by trying to use the tailed beasts for your own selfish purposes. The same thing Madara is trying to do to us now. You’re so blinded by your own ego and self-righteousness that you can’t even see the corruption blackening your hearts! The tailed beasts and us jinchuuriki are more than just weapons or assets for you to exploit and control!”</p><p> </p><p>“If you insist on going...I will kill you right here and now!” The Raikage’s chakra crackled with lightning, emphasizing the veracity of his threat. </p><p> </p><p>“And if you insist on killing Naruto...then I will have to kill <em> you </em>instead,” a fourth voice said. </p><p> </p><p>They all turned around to face the newcomer. Naruto was shocked when he recognized who it was. Everyone was shocked- they didn’t even know how she had found out about his escape or this confrontation. </p><p> </p><p>“Aratani, what are you doing here?” Tsunade asked. </p><p> </p><p>She stepped forwards out of the shadows, and the moonlight cast a haunting ephemera onto her pale skin. Her strange, floral irises glowed in the night, reflecting like the eyes of a wild animal. Predatory. Naruto felt an overwhelming malevolence coming from somewhere nearby, but as soon as his mind was able to process it the feeling was gone, replaced with nothingness. No good will, no ill will, she didn’t express anything. She was just empty and completely unreadable. He brushed it off, thinking that it must have been his imagination. Or perhaps it was the Raikage he had sensed. </p><p> </p><p>“Let him go,” she said. </p><p> </p><p>The Raikage took a threatening step towards her. “What?! Weren’t you the one stressing the importance of keeping him away from-”</p><p> </p><p>“The circumstances have changed. I <em> need </em> his help, I cannot do this alone anymore. Please, you have to trust me on this. I won’t be able to win on my own, and once I lose, they will come after him again. With me gone, you will be even more vulnerable than before. There will be <em> no hope </em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“But why Naruto?” A asked, turning to face his brother. “B is the jinchuriki who can control his tailed beast. Therefore, he is a stronger military asset.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s where you’re wrong, bro! You see, Kurama and Naruto are tight now, fo-sho!” B explained, in his odd lyrical manner. </p><p> </p><p>“The eight tails does not have the strength I require,” Aratani added. “Additionally, Naruto has the leadership skills that I lack. He also has the necessary….<em> inspiration </em>. The Will of Fire.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan...I don’t know what your position in all of this is, but I know you feel it too. The same hatred I do. Hatred for these <em> tyrants </em>, these abusers and their malevolence,” Naruto seethed. </p><p> </p><p>Her face remained neutral, but her voice betrayed a quiet fury. “Yes. Only by working together will we be able to defend against this plague of greed. We must sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the others.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratani walked over to Naruto, both Tsunade and the Raikage stepped away in a show of submission. Naruto wondered, just what kind of power did she have over them? It should have taken more than a brief exchange to convince the Raikage to step down. Not that he was complaining, but still, it was pretty weird. There were so many secrets being kept from him. He hated secrets. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Yes, finally, someone who understands our hate. She will aid us. Together we will save us. </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Live or die; these are the rules, but we do not have to remain bound by them. I will reveal to you the truth, and the truth will overcome all threats. Our hatred can change the rules.” </p><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><p>
  <b>[PAST]THE DAY OF THE RALLY - UNKNOWN LOCATION</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Four holographic figures stood facing a hooded man, patiently waiting for him to initiate the meeting. A shadow covered his eyes, concealing his expression as he sat with his chin resting atop folded hands. The inners were growing impatient, familiar with but still intolerant of these pensive silences their leader seemed so fond of. One of them, a young girl, tapped her foot impatiently, her heeled boot irritatingly clacking against the tiled surface she was standing on and echoing throughout the genjutsu. She was the youngest member- only 15 years of age- aside from their leader and had a nasty temper.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she opened her mouth to chastise their brooding commander, he lifted his gaze to peer at his subordinates. His black irises were unnaturally large and covered almost the entire whites of his eyes, exacerbating the dangerous and intimidating authority he displayed despite his young age. The hood of the black cloak he wore-the standard outer-dress for all members of their organization- was pulled back, revealing a short black ponytail and the shaved sides of his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Welcome,” he said in a voice that was uncharacteristically mature and baritone for someone of his physical age. “Shall we begin?”</p><p> </p><p>He nodded towards the eldest of the group, prompting him to speak first. “As you requested, I have met with the outer who serves as the captain of the Allied Forces’ Sensor Division.  It appears that one of your brethren has made an appearance, and-”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I sensed her arrival some months ago,” their leader interjected. </p><p> </p><p>“Then you know the threat she poses. It appears that she intends to aid the war effort. I believe it is very likely that she will kill Kaguya herself, as well. It is my recommendation that we take action before she has the chance to interfere with our own agenda. ”</p><p> </p><p>“No. Let her be.”</p><p> </p><p>“What? Sir, she is a threat-”</p><p> </p><p>“No. She will take care of my former partner so that we don’t have to. I intend on letting her consume Kaguya’s power.” </p><p> </p><p>“Are you insane? You can’t risk being overpowered like that!” The girl exclaimed, staring daggers at her superior. </p><p> </p><p>“Please, calm down. I know her personally, in a way that none of you understand. Do you not trust me?” He stared at them calmly, letting the accusation linger in the air.</p><p> </p><p>The inners remained silent. Only the ladybug fluttering around the leader dared to move.</p><p> </p><p>“As I was saying. Do not underestimate my cunning; she can be easily manipulated. This girl is impulsive, overzealous, and naive; on her first day here she willingly forfeited the bulk of her abilities, albeit temporarily. Powers more immense than any of you could possibly comprehend. An invaluable asset to our cause.” </p><p> </p><p>“If you aren’t getting rid of her then...what, you’re planning on convincing her to join us?” The man asked.</p><p> </p><p>Their leader smiled, a twinkle reflected in his soulless gaze. “That would imply that I am going to give her a choice.”</p><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <strong>-ooooooo-</strong> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>MONDAY EVENING - KUMOGAKURE</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Tsunade and the Raikage sat at a small wooden table in the Sensor Division’s headquarters while Shikaku Nara anxiously paced back and forth behind them. They watched the glowing blue orb of chakra in the center of the room as they waited for Inoichi to relay any status updates being sent in by each of the fronts. Inoichi sat on the ground in a meditative pose, the top half of his face obscured by a large metal helmet with tentacle-like black tubes attached to the back. It amplified his telepathic abilities, allowing him to send and receive messages to each of the battlefronts without disrupting the sensing barrier they had constructed to detect any intrusions upon the headquarters.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier that morning they’d received word that a group of two thousand white zetsu had ambushed and overran the Water-Attack Raid unit stationed at the seventh front. In response, they dispatched Kumogakure’s Thundercloud unit to provide backup. The Thundercloud unit consisted of seven prodigious fourteen year-old shinobi who were well-versed in kenjutsu and bukijutsu. Despite their young age, their excellent swordsmanship and ninja-tool proficiency made them an effective counter to the close-ranged combat style of the white zetsu. However, they had only narrowly avoided defeat and several members were critically wounded, the news of which had put everyone in the building on edge. </p><p> </p><p>Aratani Hoseki entered the room quietly, taking up a seat across from Tsunade. Ara had been busy trying to weed out the rest of the zetsu infiltrators so that she could join them at the headquarters to help monitor Naruto and B’s movements and be ready to provide backup for them at the drop of a hat. The Raikage visibly tensed in response to her presence; even though he had relented and allowed the jinchuriki to leave the night before, he was still angered by the young woman’s interference and defiance of his authority. Tsunade smiled softly at Aratani when she entered and was greeted with a polite bow. </p><p> </p><p>Something about the kunoichi’s demeanor had shifted recently, and it’d been bothering Tsunade ever since their encounter the night before. She was suddenly much more serious and emotionally reserved than usual, which had set off alarm bells in the back of Tsunade’s mind. The Hokage ignored her gut, though, remembering her display of reliability back when she’d sparred with Kakashi and reminding herself that Aratani’s change in mood was likely a side effect of the violence she had seen and been a part of during the past few days. After all, it was the young woman’s first time witnessing a war first-hand. </p><p> </p><p>Her speculation was interrupted when Inoichi and Ao jumped into action to begin relaying an incoming message. </p><p> </p><p>“Naruto and Killer B have just left an encounter with the reanimated Itachi Uchiha. According to Naruto, Itachi had planted a crow with a dormant genjutsu inside of Naruto during his lifetime and was able to use it to break free from his summoner’s control,” Inoichi said. </p><p> </p><p>“No way! Itachi Uchiha?” Tsunade stood up and slammed her palms onto the table in shock. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes. Itachi has communicated to Naruto his intentions to go and personally attack the person casting the reincarnation jutsu. It seems that someone named Kabuto Yakushi is responsible for summoning the dead shinobi.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who is Kabuto Yakushi?” A asked. </p><p> </p><p>“I encountered him once a long time ago while I was on my way back to the village with Jiraiya and Naruto,” Tsunade began. “He was one of Orochimaru’s minions, if I recall correctly, and possessed similar abilities to my former teammate.” </p><p> </p><p>Kabuto Yakushi was a former citizen and orphan of Konohagakure who had been acquired at a very young age by Danzo Shimura’s hidden espionage organization, Root. After being mislead and forced to murder his former caretaker- Nono Yakushi, the woman who rescued him as a child and adopted him into the orphanage in the Leaf- Kabuto became disillusioned and abandoned Root along with the rest of the village. He was then recruited by Orochimaru and played a crucial role in an attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams, as well as Sasuke Uchiha’s eventual defection and escape. </p><p> </p><p>Unknown to Tsunade and everyone else who hadn’t encountered him since her return as the Hokage, Kabuto had since scientifically modified his body and was now a monstrous version of his former self. He infused himself with Orochimaru’s remains, the results of which increased his chakra reserves and altered his appearance to become more snake-like and reptilian. After that he’d further enhanced himself by replicating the abilities of several other powerful missing-nin. </p><p> </p><p>The first of these abilities was Suigetsu Hozeki’s hydrification technique, meaning that he could liquify parts of his body in order to avoid escape. The second granted him the Uzumaki's unique rejuvenation technique that allowed them to completely heal any injuries just by biting themselves, something that Naruto also possessed. Additionally, he implanted himself with a kekkei genkai allowing him to passively absorb natural energy; this meant that he could continuously and instantaneously use Sage Mode without assistance. Other users, by comparison, had to remain completely still for several seconds in order to enter the chakra mode. Lastly, he developed a method of producing snake-clones with various capabilities; namely, the ability to absorb chakra from his opponents. With enough initial energy, he could produce a virtually endless amount of the chakra-stealing reptiles. </p><p> </p><p>“It seems that even in death, Itachi Uchiha has not abandoned his mission to protect the village no matter what…” Tsunade murmured. </p><p> </p><p>“A real shame, Itachi’s fate was. After enduring so much pain...he deserved better,” Aratani commented. </p><p> </p><p>Tsunade narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “And just how would you know anything about-”</p><p> </p><p>She was interrupted once again by another important announcement from Inoichi. </p><p> </p><p>“Lord Kazekage and Onoki have successfully defeated the Fourth Kazekage with minimal casualties in the Fourth Division,” he stated. “The Second Tsuchikage- Lord Mū- has still not been spotted since disappearing on Saturday. They are now being approached by the Second Mizukage and the Third Raikage.” </p><p> </p><p>The Fourth Raikage stood up and growled, clenching his fists in anger. “Send Naruto to aid them. They won’t be able to seal my father without his help. And tell the other divisions to leave as soon as possible and converge with the fourth division. B will escort them in case they run into any more of the enemy on the way,” he commanded. </p><p> </p><p>Inoichi relayed his orders to the jinchuriki, who would arrive to provide support by dawn tomorrow. Aratani stood up, announcing that she would head there as well in case of any potential complications or surprises. There was always the possibility of Mū returning unexpectedly, so it was best to have as much power on hand as possible. The kage agreed and dismissed her for departure. Tsunade stared at her back as she left, still unable to shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach. </p><p> </p><p>Aratani walked through the dim and empty corridors of the main headquarters, grinning widely as soon as she was out of sight. Her body contorted and compressed into an anomalous black substance- devoid of anything and everything- as she blended in with the shadows and disappeared into the nothingness. </p><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>TUESDAY</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Gaara’s eyes burned from the salty droplets of sweat that had found their way past his eyelashes. This was one of the major drawbacks of not having any eyebrows. His hair was damp and matted to his forehead, and the clothes he wore now felt suffocating as they clung to his sticky skin. Gritting his teeth to distract from the intensifying soreness spreading throughout his aching muscles, he continued straining and struggling to keep the Mizukage and the Raikage trapped within the confines of his sand imprisonment technique. </p><p> </p><p>The worst part about this entire situation was the fact that neither of the two kage before him actually <em> wanted </em> to fight. They were being controlled, manipulated, and forced against their will to attack the very same people they spent their lives securing the futures of. The Mizukage was chattering excitedly at the prospect of finally being sealed away when an anti-barrier fuinjutsu tag appeared on the sand covering his chest. The tag activated at the same time that the Raikage punched through his own barrier. Unable to hold them any longer, Gaara bit back a wave of despair as he watched them obliterate the sand prisons and free themselves once again. </p><p> </p><p>Groups of his shinobi charged forwards to meet the kage head-on and try to surround them. Onoki was hanging back at a safe distance; the old man had overexerted himself in their previous fight, so Gaara was forcing him to take a break to recuperate and restore his chakra. The Raikage’s lightning ephemera crackled dangerously as he dove into the center of one of the groups and slammed into the ground with lethal force, instantly killing dozens of their shinobi. Survivors pressed on following Temari’s orders, rushing past the crushed and mangled bodies of their fallen comrades. </p><p> </p><p>When they were both surrounded, the kage stopped and stood back-to-back inside the ring of shinobi. Gengetsu Hozuki, the Second Mizukage, took the opportunity to address the crowd. </p><p> </p><p>“Do not underestimate my jutsu, you need to stand back! Now, here are all my weaknesses: I use shadow style- genjutsu- and my summoning,” he paused his rambling to bite his thumb, drawing blood to place a summoning seal on the ground, “is a giant clam!” </p><p> </p><p>The sand shook as soon as his hand touched the ground, and a massive mollusk rose up from underneath him. The Third Raikage followed his example, divulging his own weaknesses.</p><p> </p><p>“And I’m a lightning style user, so you need to gather all your earth style users and use them as a shield, and then attack with your wind style shinobi!”</p><p> </p><p>“Great, thanks for the intel,” Temari yelled out. “Do you have any other details you can tell us?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not in control of my body. There’s no time for more talk!”</p><p> </p><p>The Raikage jumped away, distancing himself as much as he could from Gengetsu to try and minimize casualties. Temari gathered the earth and wind users along with part of the sealing core to chase after him. Gaara, much to the displeasure of Gengetsu, abandoned the group facing off against him without telling anyone what he was doing. He just fucked off and told them all to deal with the Mizukage.</p><p> </p><p>“You can count on us!” One of the shinobi yelled. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we’ll take care of wispy whiskers!”</p><p> </p><p>Gengetsu became enraged at the use of such a degrading nickname and burst into a ball of orange flames. This only served to invigorate his opponents, who began to jeer and pump each other up. If literally any one of the commanders had been there, they would have had a crisis of faith in response to the collective anencephalic stupidity present on that particular battlefield. The shinobi squared up as the Mizukage’s giant clam blew ass and created a shroud of mist, and the battle began.</p><p> </p><p>They attacked Gengetsu with a barrage of ninja tools, successfully subduing him for approximately thirty seconds. Unfortunately, the person they’d attacked turned out to be a mirage. Gengetsu berated them for being dumb fucks while he patiently waited for everyone to retrieve their weapons, growing irritated when several shinobi started arguing over who owned what or ambled around helplessly, unable to find their tools.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re ninjas? More like non-jas,” the real Gengetsu laughed from atop his flatulent mollusk. “Terrible what passes for a ninja these days.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey man, you don’t have to insult us like that!” a random dude responded. “That clam suits you, ‘cause you’re just like the ocean. You’re salty and you scare people!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, and you’re not even trying to go easy on us! You don’t even want to die, do you!” Another random dude exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>“Dammit,” Gengetsu cursed. “It’s not that I don’t want to die, I just don’t want a village of idiots slinging childish insults to kill me! I may as well hold a funeral for my dignity right here and now,” he sighed. </p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of funerals,” a new voice shouted, “why don’t you go ahead and die already!”</p><p> </p><p>Naruto came flying out of nowhere and wrecked the Mizukage with one of his Rasengan. Gaara and Onoki followed behind him, the former acting quickly to trap Gengetsu in another sand prison while Onoki used his super-weighted boulder jutsu to split the giant clam apart. Thankfully the clam was out of ammunition, so everyone could breathe easy. The sealing core jumped into action while the Mizukage pretended to resist, working as fast as they could to lock him away. </p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Temari and her shinobi were holding their own against the third Raikage, but seemed to be locked in a stalemate after each round of combat. Their wind attacks just weren’t strong enough, and despite Temari being the best wind user in the Allied Shinobi Forces she wasn’t able to defeat him on her own. Luckily, the second strongest wind user was already on his way to help. </p><p> </p><p>The Raikage flew backwards as Naruto slammed into him with a rasen-shuriken, resulting in a massive explosion once the ball of energy detonated against his body. The sealing team tried to capture him with their cloth bindings while he was down, but the Raikage easily broke free. Kabuto had completely taken over his will at that point, and prepared to counter Naruto using the Raikage’s strongest ninjutsu: the Four-Fingered Piercing Thrust of Hell. Similar to Sasuke and Kakashi’s chidori, the technique worked by gathering lighting in his fingertips and fists. The entire group of shinobi was ordered to disperse and fall back while the earth users erected a thick wall of stone to try and soften the blow. </p><p> </p><p>Due to congenital intelligence defects, several of the shinobi refused to retreat and instead prepared to launch a suicidal attack at the Raikage as soon as he broke through the wall. As expected, every single one of them was violently electrocuted. They screamed in agony as their limbs convulsed and their flesh was cooked medium-rare, the cries only ceasing once their brains liquified inside of their skulls. Dodai, a jonin from Kumogakure, managed to grab Naruto and pull him away to safety moments before he met the same fate. When the Raikage altered his hand sign to use just three fingers, Dodai hurriedly explained to Naruto that the Hell Stab became more powerful and more concentrated as the number of fingers used decreased. On top of that, the cloak of lightning that enveloped his body during the attack made him impenetrable. </p><p> </p><p>Naruto examined the Raikage, noticing a scar on his right pectoral muscle and pointing it out to Dodai. Apparently, he had received the injury years ago when he fought the rampaging eight-tails by himself. It reminded Naruto of the eight-tails’ strongest attack: the tailed beast bomb. Concentrating all of his energy, Naruto began trying to form one of the bombs in his hands; an extremely dangerous jutsu to attempt while still in human form, and something that was thought by everyone else to be impossible. </p><p> </p><p>However, now that Kurama was fully cooperating with Naruto, he was able to shift into Kurama Mode: a completed version of Nine-Tails chakra mode but without the full transformation, meaning that Naruto could utilize both tailed-beast bombs and truth-seeking balls. When activated, Naruto’s chakra cloak took on a reddish hue, his eyes became slitted and the markings on his face thickened to resemble the trigram symbol, and nine truth-seeking orbs materialized and levitated behind his head. Three tails manifested and protruded from his back, billowing like leaves in the wind due to the pressure gradient caused by the immense energy levels radiating from his chakra. Dodai noped the fuck out of there, ordering the remaining shinobi move out of the way and telling the sealing core to stand by as the Raikage- now down to a single finger- charged full-speed at the jinchuriki. </p><p> </p><p>Bracing himself, Naruto continued to focus all of his chakra into a tailed-beast rasengan, cultivating it into a mass of energy nearly the size of his head. Due to the density of the chakra, he wouldn’t be able to throw the orb. Instead, he held it in front of him and allowed the Raikage to strike it head-on. The ball ripped through his protective barrier of lightning and instantly destroyed the majority of his reanimated body. The positive and negative chakra used to create the tailed-beast bombs is potent enough to prevent even the immortal bodies of Kabuto’s zombie ninjas from regenerating. Before the Third Raikage could even think about making another move, the sealing core was on top of him and imprisoned him using a powerful cloth-sealing technique. </p><p> </p><p>Victorious, Naruto regressed into his human form and collapsed with exhaustion, having spent nearly all of his chakra performing the unstable counter-attack. Even though he had access to all of Kurama’s chakra now, Naruto still hadn’t mastered the tailed beast’s abilities, and was inefficient at best when using them. Unfortunately, this meant that he had literally wasted the majority of his chakra in less than sixty seconds and unwittingly doomed himself to what would happen next. Use of the tailed-beast bombs also caused tissue damage throughout his arms that would need to be healed. </p><p> </p><p>The fourth division banded together in a surreal moment of triumph, believing that the war was finally coming to an end.</p><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Nagato screamed internally, gripped by despair as he was placed onto the ground near the perfected vessel, a recreation of the very person who had given him his eye. Kabuto chattered incessantly, exuding manic energy while he prepared for the ritual. Kneeling down in front of the other body, his disgustingly phallic snake appendage wagged excitedly while Kabuto summoned the desired inhabitant to the vessel. He lay there helplessly when Kabuto exploited his Rinnegan, forcing him to use the Rinne Tensei- the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique- to fully resurrect the malefactor next to him. </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>-ooooooo-</strong>
</p><p>An eerie silence had settled over the desert while the fourth division waited with baited breath to see who the new presence was that the sensors had detected approaching them. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tmp, tmp, tmp </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Three heavy footsteps sounded off of the flat stone surface of the butte before coming to a halt. An unexpectedly average-heighted man appeared, looking down on them with his arms crossed. He was clad in dark red traditional armor that clanked metallically with each movement. The man stood there menacingly, staring at the group of shinobi with one glowing red Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and the distinct purple of the Rinnegan. Everyone watched, mesmerized by the beautiful black mane billowing behind him as they clenched their assholes in terror. </p><p> </p><p>Gaara and Naruto stood side by side, the former coming to grips with the reality that Aratashiki had been telling the truth while the latter gaped in shock after Onoki announced who it was that now faced them. The masked man was indeed lying about his identity, and everything Ara had said was coming true. Naruto was crouched down, sitting on his knees. It was only a few minutes ago that they had sealed the Third Raikage, and he’d hardly even begun to recover his chakra. </p><p> </p><p>Madara gazed at the strange coalition of villages before him, not really understanding what he was looking at or <em> why </em> he was looking at it. He was not expecting to be revived, and would be straight-up lying if he said that everything was going according to his plans right now. But beggars can’t be choosers, right? It was time for him to put the shinobi world in its place. To bring them to their knees, and offer a path to salvation only he could provide. </p><p> </p><p>“Madara Uchiha,” Naruto yelled, jumping to his feet and pointing a finger at him. He was spitting with fury. “Whatever it is you’re planning ends here. Come over here, coward! I’m gonna beat your ass you son of a bitch. You’re an intellectual dumbass, and I’M COMIN’! You coward, you think you’re a tough guy...I HATE YOU! COWARD!”</p><p> </p><p>Naruto turned his head to yell at his comrades. “We’re gonna defeat this anti-human scum, we’re gonna wreck his WORLD!” The crowd of shinobi behind him cheered in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>Scowling, Madara glared at the young man furiously. He had never been so aggressively verbally assaulted in his life. Only <em> he </em> was allowed to go off on people like that! And how bold of that little twerp to behave so rudely when they’ve only just met. Such ignorance was surely a disease. “You all only hate me because you do not like me and I am mean to you” he roared. “Grow up!”</p><p> </p><p>This riled the shinobi up even more. They prepared their weapons, letting out battle cries and bracing for his attack. Madara was about to charge at them when the ground began to shake, interrupting their imminent smack-down. He pivoted on his toes and watched as the Demonic statue rose from the sand, with Obito standing on top of its head looking like some shitty street magician that was going to follow you home and steal your cookies. Rolling his eyes, he faced the crowd again and spotted a new character next to the annoying orange. It only took him a moment to realize that the woman was no woman, but Black Zetsu. When had he gotten into genderbending? Wasn’t he supposed to be <em> Madara’s </em> will? Because Madara was not exactly into that kind of thing. No matter. </p><p> </p><p>Obito appeared at his side, quickly whispering the plan into his ear. Madara’s face broke out in a sinister grin; the young man had certainly out-done himself this time. They watched as Zetsu conversed with the unsuspecting jinchuriki, the other shinobi falling back per ‘her’ orders. Whoever he was impersonating clearly had some authority- an excellent choice. As soon as the noisy ninja let his guard down Zetsu morphed into his true form and plunged his arm into the man’s stomach. </p><p> </p><p>“You naive, arrogant fool….you never ssstood a chance. <em> You’re too weak </em>,” Zetsu jeered while his disoriented victim collapsed onto the sand.</p><p> </p><p>Instantaneously, Obito was at Zetsu’s side and they began extracting the nine-tails using the Tail Releasing Method, the same technique Obito had used on Kushina Uzumaki years before. Naruto cried out in distress, unable to fight back in his weakened state and in too much shock and pain to beg for mercy. Horrified yells rippled through the crowd of shinobi in the distance, but not a single one attempted to move, too terrified to try and stop what was happening. Honestly, the lack of intervention was quite pathetic and rather disappointing. Apparently, what his generation had lacked in quantity the current generation now lacked in quality. </p><p> </p><p>Madara cackled like a madman, amused and excited as he watched the Kyuubi being sucked into the Gedo statue bit by bit, inching closer to his dream. When Obito and Zetsu were finished, they abandoned the dying former-jinchuuriki and returned to the statue, warping it a distance away so that Madara could have his fun while they all waited for the Ten-tails to form. As soon as they were gone several figures rushed forth from the crowd. An old man, a goth wearing a mummified pumpkin, a sharingan thief hiding half of his face behind a mask, and a pink-haired woman surrounded the wounded shinobi. </p><p> </p><p>How repulsive, a non-Uchiha with the sharingan. Madara berated him in his head: he could never be an Uchiha because he. is. not. that. kind. of. guy. Bitch, everything Madara has had, he'd worked for and he'd gotten himself. Madara built himself from the ground up-</p><p> </p><p>A woman interrupted his psychic tirade.</p><p> </p><p>“Naruto!”</p><p> </p><p>The distressed kunoichi screamed his name, fumbling to try and heal the gaping wound in his abdomen. Just as Madara was growing bored with the scene, the woman and the wannabe Uchiha picked up ‘Naruto’ and began escorting him to safety. Hmph. Madara couldn’t care less if he lived or not, he was just grateful they had left and taken the drama with them. Now the real show could begin.</p><p> </p><p>Taking a step towards the edge of the butte, he prepared to deliver the monologue he had written decades ago to the crowd of angry, terror-stricken shinobi. Madara- and the Uchihas in general- were not known for their poetry. However, he was quite proud of this piece and thought that it summarized his intentions masterfully. It would definitely go down in history as a famous war speech. Well...it would have, if he wasn’t about to end human civilization. Perhaps he could make it so within the Tsukuyomi...</p><p> </p><p>No. Now was not the time to start losing focus! </p><p> </p><p>Anywho, when writing his magnum opus Madara had specifically chosen to refer to others in third person, so that they would feel dehumanized and ostracized. There was no point in telling them the truth, because they wouldn’t listen. Too far gone, the lot of them were. Thus, he made no attempt to defend his benevolence. Additionally, in order to finish his presentation with what younger generations referred to as a ‘bang!’- and this really was the pinnacle of his artistry- Madara planned to drop a meteor on top of the army. Like, just smash the shit out of them all. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. An ingenious idea for sure. </p><p> </p><p>In the past, his renowned brilliance had kept him from easily relating to lesser, more stupid people. It was tough, being a devastatingly handsome erudite with great-smelling hair and impeccable style, all while being the Uchiha clan leader and the God of shinobi.</p><p> </p><p>Madara Uchiha drips too hard, to put it simply.</p><p> </p><p>None of that would matter, though, by the end of the day. The last Tuesday.</p><p> </p><p>Deep down, Madara was not the psychopathic killer history had made him out to be. That title belonged to Izuna, without a doubt, but few knew of his depravity. On the contrary, Madara cared deeply for his clan and wanted nothing more than to end the suffering of humanity as a whole. It pained him to have to do something so drastic. In fact, it was excruciating. But nothing ever goes as planned in this world. Only pain, suffering, and futility exist. In this world, wherever there is light there are also shadows, so as long as the concept of winners exists there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars, and hatred is born to protect love.</p><p> </p><p>Love would not bring peace. His hatred, his power - these were necessary if he was going to save them all. Madara was going to free them from the agony of trying to maintain order and diplomacy. From the secrecy, corruption, and war. </p><p> </p><p>This new world would be a world of truth, not lies. </p><p> </p><p>“Look at them, they come to this place when they know they are not pure,” Madara began, projecting his deep voice as much as he could. “The Villages flaunt their Jinchuuriki, but they are merely imposters. Only I, Madara Uchiha, know the true power of the tailed beasts!”</p><p> </p><p>Madara beat on his chest to emphasize the turmoil of being alone as a God. “I was cut in half, destroyed, but through its immense power, the God Tree called to me. It brought me here, and here I was reborn! I cannot blame these creatures, they have been led by a false prophet, an impostor who knows not the secrets of the God Tree, of the Ten-Tails. Hashirama Senju...that intolerable, well-proportioned, irritatingly charming, wooden-headed jackass!”</p><p> </p><p>He opened his arms wide, gesturing to the entire audience and manifesting a giant meteor to hold over their heads, anticipating the grand finale. </p><p> </p><p>“Behold the Shinobi, come to scavenge and desecrate this sacred realm. My brothers, did I not tell of this day? Did I not prophesy this moment? Now, I will stop them. Now I am changed, reborn through the perfection of my Infinite Tsukuyomi. Forever bound to the God Tree.”</p><p> </p><p>The faces of his spectators were priceless: confused and terrified, cowering in the presence of his god-tier masculinity. Madara could practically hear the slaps as the men’s balls receded into the abyss of inferiority.</p><p> </p><p>“Let it be known, if the Shinobi want true salvation, they will lay down their arms, and wait for the baptism of my Infinite Tsukuyomi. It is time. I will teach these trespassers the redemptive power of my Infinite Tsukuyomi. They will learn it's simple truth. The Shinobi are lost, and they will resist. But I, Madara Uchiha, will cleanse this place of their impurity!”</p><p> </p><p>As Madara dropped the meteor with a flourish, an ominous voice spoke in his mind:</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Ok, boomer.</em> </b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Omake!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This isn't a chapter, but its a comic panel I made based off of the shopping trip from chapter 4! There will be new chapters soon, promise! But in the mean time, I hope you enjoy this, and sorry for the wait.</p><p>Context: X years after the war, after they are officially together(not spoilers: it will happen, just not for a long time). Aratashiki describes their 'first date' to someone. Neji is...bemused.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Read left to right. <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/tabooemu/art/FirstDayMemory-838162790?ga_submit_new=10%3A1587081612">deviantart</a></p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Butterfly Effect</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tip of the iceberg, the crest of the crescendo. Let the sin begin.</p><p>HUGE shout out to Florgnar for being a sweetheart and a cheerleader, and motivating me to push through this writer's block. You rock.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Damn, I am SO miffed that this took such a long time to get out. (Keep in mind that I'm a reader of this story too, hah) I'm not sure why I was hit with major writer's block last month, and for literally just this chapter. Smh. I'm super sleep deprived right now, so I'm just going to post this after my initial proof-reading and editing. I'll go over it more thoroughly once I sleep. Not my favorite chapter, because I feel shitty in general, but oh well.  Gotta sift through the trash to get to the treasure, or something.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."</em> </b>
</p><p>- Arundhati Roy</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 16: Butterfly Effect</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Hiraishin was a life-saver. Aratashiki saw the meteor - such a phenomenon was hard to miss - and immediately jumped into action, thanks to the hiraishin formulas she had placed on the various fronts. Fortunately she had been standing right next to Neji when the meteor appeared; they made quick work of her seal, and then she was off to join the main cast in the shit-show. Ara was absolutely livid that no one had summoned or even alerted her to what was clearly a dire confrontation. She arrived just in time to hear the end of Queen Boomer’s speech, and witness the subsequent dropping of his over-exaggerated balls. </p><p> </p><p>There wasn’t even time to question <em> where </em> Madara got said celestial body from. </p><p> </p><p>Before she could think and react appropriately, the tiny form of Onoki appeared beneath the rock and somehow managed to hold it up with the help of Gaara’s sand. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to take in the scene unfolding around her, eventually anchoring her focus onto Sakura’s bright pink hair. The medic-nin was hunched over as she tried to heal Naruto - who seemed to be on the brink of death - and the sight of her distraught friends pushed Ara’s rage to reach critical mass.</p><p> </p><p>Ara couldn’t believe things had gotten so bad, so fast; she was fully transformed in record time. Her demonic form made a beeline for Madara, ignoring the adverse reactions of her fellow shinobi. She couldn’t afford to waste time trying to appease their fears right now. </p><p> </p><p>“Impressive, old man. Let’s see how you fare with <em> two </em> meteors!” Madara exclaimed.</p><p> </p><p>Cursing internally, she fought back her impulses. It was time for her to focus. </p><p> </p><p>“Onoki, Gaara!” Ara yelled to get their attention. “Let go of the meteors as soon as I say so!”</p><p> </p><p>After a brief moment of shock - during which Onoki nearly dropped the ball - the two men managed to recollect themselves and signal that they had heard her instructions. Ara focused her gaze on the area between Onoki and the entire fourth division that was huddled below him, using her rinnegan to tear open a dimensional rift into one of her dimensions. </p><p> </p><p><em> Null </em>, as she called it, was a dimension devoid of radiant energy. That is to say, that it was full of dark energy instead of the energy that was ‘supposed’ to be present; coincidentally, the same type of energy contained within the necklace she was wearing. The term ‘radiant energy’ encompasses all of the forces that hold matter together - gravity, electromagnetic force, strong and weak nuclear force - and dark energy was the antithesis to this. Any and all matter deposited directly into her Null dimension was instantaneously eviscerated on a quantum level, because there literally was not enough force to hold it together. It was essentially an incredibly dangerous trash bin, and required rigid chakra control to keep from destabilizing and leaking the energy into places it was not welcome.</p><p> </p><p>Time seemed to slow down as the meteor began falling. The crushing reality of how quickly things had escalated in the past five minutes had not yet sunk in; only moments ago she was <em> mortal </em>, and now she was completely exposed having gone full beast-mode. </p><p> </p><p>She waited until the second meteor was only one-hundred meters away from impact to give the command. </p><p> </p><p>“Drop them NOW!”</p><p> </p><p>Onoki barely managed to move out of the way before the two meteors made contact. A small shock-wave reverberated out through the lower atmosphere, and the deafening <em> crack </em> echoing as a result of the collision assaulted the ears of everyone within a hundred kilometre radius. The shinobi - and even Madara - watched in awe and disbelief as her massive rift devoured the hulking masses of rock. </p><p> </p><p>She closed the rift as soon as they were both inside and flew in the direction of the very pissed-off looking Madara Uchiha, who was now fully enclosed within his Susanoo. Its towering, ethereal blue form took the shape of an otherworldly samurai whose glowing red eyes bore into her as it raised a set of katana overhead. A pair of wing-like arms sprouted from its back, complementing its demonic mask to create a menacing aura. Aratashiki had never seen anything like this - the Susanoo was terrifyingly beautiful. Well, other than the long nose sticking out of its face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The samurai swung its swords with incredible speed. Ara barely managed to dodge, air rolling beneath them with only a few millimetres between the bones protruding from her back and the edges of the blades. Continuing to close the distance between her and Madara, she balled her right fist and concentrated her chakra into the arm. When she struck Madara, the force behind the blow was so great that it shattered his Susanoo and sent the man skidding backwards towards the edge of the butte he was standing on top of.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What <em> are </em> you?” Madara asked, shocked by the infantilization of his perfected jutsu.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Someone you can’t beat.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Madara laughed. “I admire your confidence. Unfortunately, it is misplaced.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Madara, stop this! This isn’t the solution - you’re being played, Zetsu isn’t-”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Violence is the question, and the answer is yes,” he interrupted, pressing his palms together in a unified hand-sign. “Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Her pleas - and also Madara’s woody - were cut off by the unholy screech released by the enormous creature taking shape only a half kilometre away from where she was hovering in the air. The ground beneath them quaked as a ten-tailed, deformed slug emerged from thick roots that had burst from the soil, its mouth opening wide to reveal row upon row of needle-like teeth. A single rinne sharingan eye adorned its forehead, unblinking as it continued to wail.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ara had never seen a Juubi in person, only heard descriptions from a few older Harvesters when she was a child. She’d had no idea that they were such abominable creatures. Then again, they were parasites by definition, so she shouldn’t have been surprised by this fact.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t it magnificent?” Madara asked, non-rhetorically.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Nah bitch, that's something I could’ve lived without seeing,” Ara replied.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Tch. Are you scared yet, little girl? Wait until we switch into <em> maximum overdrive </em>!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Madara cackled like a madman, and Ara watched in confusion as Obito warped to them and handed Madara his Gunbai. Obito started making a weird ticking noise - like he was counting off a beat - and Madara held the Gunbai upside-down across his torso, with his left hand wrapped around the handle and his right poised over the center of the fan. Chakra strings shot out of his fingertips and wrapped themselves around either end of the weapon, effectively turning it into a shitty guitar. He lifted his right arm up while Obito continued to count him off, and finally swung his arm down across the fan-blade.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The pair started bobbing their heads and Madara strung out a surprisingly pleasant riff as Obito slapped on some rocks to keep up the back-beat. Ara was having a hard time figuring out what the hell was going on, but the music was so good that she almost didn’t care to intervene. In the distance, the Ten-tails wagged its appendages and stomped around, and Ara could see the masses of shinobi moving in that direction in order to confront it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Whipping his hair like the lead singer of an 80’s metal band, Madara began to sing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Back in black-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“You’re wearing red, though, and you should have played this like, fifteen minutes ago,” Ara interrupted. </p><p> </p><p>Obito and Madara glared at her. “Ask me if I give a motherfuck,” Madara said. “Don’t interrupt my title theme!”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, whatever,” Ara said. Madara huffed and returned to his impromptu concert. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I hit the sack </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I've been too long I'm glad to be back </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yes, I'm let loose </em>
</p><p>
  <em> From the noose </em>
</p><p>
  <em> That's kept me hanging about </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I've been looking at the sky </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 'Cause it's gettin' me high </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Forget the hearse 'cause I never die </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I got nine lives </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Cat's eyes </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Abusin' every one of them and running wild-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He entered the chorus, during which he screamed ‘back in black’ over and over along with Obito while they head-banged, much to the displeasure of Ara’s eardrums. After wasting additional time by playing yet another series of guitar riffs, Madara finally sang the last verse. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Back on the back </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Of the villages </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Number one with Rinnegan, I'm a power pack </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yes, I'm in a bang </em>
</p><p>
  <em> With a gang </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They've got to catch me if they want me to hang </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 'Cause I'm back on the track </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And I'm beatin' the flack </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Nobody's gonna get me on another rap </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So look at me now </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I'm just makin' my play </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ara didn’t even have time to react before Madara - who had a surprisingly good voice - and Obito kamui out of sight. She took a moment to let her bewilderment pass, and then chased after them. Speeding towards the now partially-formed Juubi, Ara’s mind raced to formulate a plan. Since the Juubi was only in the first growth-stage of three, there was still time to stop it from evolving further.</p><p> </p><p>The Juubi were essentially the ‘seed’ of every God Tree. They rooted themselves into a planet’s surface and fed off of the ecosystem’s natural energy in order to create chakra. Once enough chakra was formed, a root network would sprout out of the surface and free up the creature that was rampaging a short distance away. If compared to the germination of a normal plant, the first phase of the Juubi was a sort of disconnected cotyledon: the first leaf to appear from a germinating seed. Unlike a traditional plant, however, it was simultaneously the epicotyl - the region or bud of an embryo <em> above </em> the cotyledon - and was free to roam about and gather more energy. Weird science. </p><p> </p><p>Typically, the Juubi would be contained and forced into a fixed state, but neither Madara nor Obito had the necessary green thumb, so to speak. The simple life of a farmer was not in the cards for either of them. Fortunately, this presented everyone <em> else </em> with the opportunity to stop the Juubi from evolving at all, since it was running amok and making itself a target. </p><p> </p><p>Ara closed in on her destination to find Madara and Obito standing on the Juubi’s head, arguing about what their next move should be. Petulant man-children, those two were. Her attention was abruptly pulled away from their quarrel by the appearance of three very familiar chakra signatures. Glancing down at the ground, she spotted Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura, who was nearly finished healing the wound in Naruto’s abdomen. She wondered what could have possibly led Kakashi to the conclusion that it was a good idea to Kamui the trio into the immediate vicinity of the Juubi. </p><p> </p><p>“What the hell are you thinking, bringing them here?” Ara asked, landing next to Kakashi. </p><p> </p><p>He stared ahead at the unfolding catastrophe with a serious look on his face, something Ara had never personally seen on the man. “This is insane. Naruto lost the nine-tails.” </p><p> </p><p>“No shit, Sherlock. He’ll get it back once I’m done beating the shit out of this thing, don’t worry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm. I hope you know what you’re doing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, me too,” she mumbled in response. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, don’t worry about us - I won’t let anything happen to Naruto!” Sakura called out to her. </p><p> </p><p>She looked back at her friend and grinned. “I know you won’t, Sakura.” </p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, any further exchange was cut short by the arrival of Killer B’s apparently free eight-tailed companion, Gyuki. She looked up at the beast in surprise, prompting him to introduce himself. </p><p> </p><p>“Gyuki, at your service. B told me to run ahead and help you out. The rest of the forces are on their way,” he rumbled. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh. Cool, thank you. I <em> totally </em>have a plan for all of this,” Ara said, forcing a smile. “Step one is to shower those assholes with orbs. Beast bombs, in your case.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds good to me,” Gyuki replied. </p><p> </p><p>They faced off against the Juubi side-by-side, pressing their palms together and beginning to concentrate their chakra into decently-sized orbs of pulsating, reddish-black chakra. Locking eyes, they nodded at each other and catapulted towards the ten-tails in unison, launching orb after orb at its body as they sailed through the air. Explosions lit up the sky as their attacks made contact, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that completely obscured the battle from onlookers. </p><p> </p><p>Gyuki and Ara landed on the other side of the monster and turned around to gauge their success, only to discover Obito and Madara laughing at them. It appeared that they had only managed to further confuse and irritate the young Juubi. </p><p> </p><p>“What?! It ate my bombs like they were nothing,” Gyuki growled in frustration. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be discouraged. Keep throwing as many bombs at it as you can; I’m going to confront those two ass wipes,” Ara said. </p><p> </p><p>Without waiting for a response, she leapt into the air and flew towards Madara and Obito’s perch. As much as she wanted to knock them down a peg - or ten - Ara knew that using their overconfidence to her advantage was a much better course of action at the moment. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’re approaching me? Instead of running away, you’re coming right at me?” Obito taunted. </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, you fool! You’re terrible at intimidation,” Madara huffed, rolling his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you kidding me, old man? Name one person scarier than I am!”</p><p> </p><p>“Me, you brainless imbecile!” </p><p> </p><p>“Please, you’re not even a household name!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well neither are you, O-bi-to. I co-founded the leaf village - everyone knows who I am!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s bullshit; I don’t believe that for a second. No one would ever want to live in a village created by <em> you. </em>” </p><p> </p><p>“Tch. Do you live under a rock or something?” Madara quipped, smirking at his ironic question. </p><p> </p><p>Obito visibly angered, lunging at the man and prompting Ara to ask herself why the question had so violently triggered the strange little man. </p><p> </p><p>“For the last time, that is NOT funny!” Obito roared, aiming for the elder - but technically <em> biologically </em> younger - Uchiha’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>Madara swatted him away effortlessly and Obito face-planted into the squishy flesh of the Juubi’s head. Not for the first time, Ara was too puzzled by their antics to produce any sort of immediate reaction. An explosion rocked the creature the men stood on, pulling everyone’s attention back to the battle they were supposed to be having, as Gyuki resumed his beast-bomb barrage. Obito jumped to his feet, fixing his angry glare on Aratashiki. Madara stood back with his arms folded over his chest, content to watch his comrade flex on their opponent. The poor man just needed a moment in the spotlight. </p><p> </p><p>Obito commanded the Juubi to form a beast bomb of its own, and the monster unhinged its jaw - sights set on Ara - to release a burst of bright orange energy in an attempt to blast her out of the way. She dodged the attack and flew backwards to put distance between herself and the Juubi, which would make it easier for her to counter the bijuu bomb jutsu. Jaw still stretched wide, the beast began amassing red and black chakra inside of its mouth into a giant sphere.</p><p> </p><p>Ara prepared her own counter-attack, manifesting one of her truth-seeking orbs in her palm and raising it overhead. She had only ever performed this jutsu once before, during a battle on her journey towards earth. It was called - she decided, just then - a blind truth chiral orb, because a dramatic name for such a powerful move is a <em> must </em>. </p><p> </p><p>It worked by forcibly collapsing the truth-seeking orb into a micro black hole - invisible to observers - and slinging it towards her target. She was only able to keep the black hole from evaporating for about 10 seconds, so there wasn’t much room for error when performing the technique. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as the Juubi released its bomb, she launched her attack. A cyclone formed around the black hole once she created it - which was actually an accretion disk produced by the application of extreme heat and pressure to the yin-yang chakra orb - causing it to collapse in on itself to form a micro black hole. This was the part where she stopped holding it, and launched the volatile mass towards the beast bomb. While it sails through the air, the black hole sucked in and tore apart any matter that came within range of the central mass, generating massive amounts of heat due to the resulting friction. The heat expanded the luminous molecular cloud - the accretion disk - until it was bright enough to cause corneal flash burns to anyone unfortunate enough to stare directly at it, due to the sheer size and photonic displacement of the tailed beast bomb being absorbed. </p><p> </p><p>In a rare act of genius, Madara and Obito covered their eyes from the burst of light. True to the name, the beast bomb disappeared along with the unstable black hole in a blinding flash, emitting a high-pitched, residual ringing as they evaporated. </p><p> </p><p>Obito and Madara hadn’t a single clue as to what had just happened, but it pissed them off nonetheless. To try and up the ante, Obito once again commanded the Juubi to create Bijuu bombs - five of them, in fact - that were even bigger than the previous one, and sent them out towards several villages full of innocent civilians. As well as the Allied Shinobi Forces headquarters. </p><p> </p><p>Thinking quickly, Aratashiki created five clones of herself and opened rifts to teleport them to each of the bombs, using her chiral orbs to take them out before they made landfall. Dropping down to the ground, Ara de-transitioned from her demonic form and settled onto her knees, having exhausted a large amount of chakra in only a few seconds. Her natural reserves still hadn’t recovered fully, and were operating at less than half of her true capacity, even <em> before </em> she’d had to deal with this shit. </p><p> </p><p>Barely able to stand to her feet, Ara pushed herself up and stumbled towards the area she had last seen her companions in. Obito was yelling curses at her, but she ignored him. Actually, no, he was yelling at Kakashi - who zipped past her to confront the fool - not her. She could hardly see through the thick clouds of dust that the Juubi was kicking up as she continued making her way to the edge of the battlefield. Just as she began to doubt whether or not she was traveling in the right direction, a figure emerged from the fog and looped their arm underneath hers for support. </p><p> </p><p>“Neji, when did-” </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t have time to finish her sentence because a giant piece of wood slammed into the ground in front of them, narrowly missing their bodies. Unbeknownst to them, Madara had activated the Wood Release: Cutting Technique after watching Kakashi drag Obito off into their Kamui dimension - presumably to have a cat fight - and as a result it was now raining sticks. Large, sharp, and very dangerous sticks. Ara’s body lurched forward as Neji all but dragged her away from the epicenter, covering his mouth with his free hand to try and avoid breathing in the sand and debris choking the air around them. </p><p> </p><p>Once they cleared the cloud of dust, Neji let go of Ara and watched as she fell back onto her knees. Pointy sticks continued to rain down around them. </p><p> </p><p>“What a gentleman,” she grumbled. </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, I’m trying to help you,” Neji responded. “Stay low to the ground.”</p><p> </p><p>Ara gazed ahead in a daze as Neji became a blur of color, rotating his body and expelling chakra from his tenketsu points to form an impenetrable barrier that would shield them from the barrage of wooden stakes. It was the Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven technique, the same justu she had taught Hinata only a month before. Peering through the vortex of blue chakra, she could make out the figures of Naruto and Hinata roughly 20 meters away. The former was still weak and hunched over on the ground, with the latter racing towards him. </p><p> </p><p>“Naruto, watch out!” Hinata screamed.</p><p> </p><p>It was then that Ara noticed a particularly deadly pair of wooden projectiles heading straight for Naruto’s vulnerable form. Neji stopped spinning once he heard Hinata’s voice, looking in her direction just in time to see his cousin throw herself in between Naruto and certain death. </p><p> </p><p>Ara’s limbs froze as her dream from all those weeks ago came rushing back to the forefront of her mind. Terror gripped her entire nervous system, until she realized that this <em> wasn’t </em> her dream; the details were off, and by a large margin, too. She wasn’t sealed or injured, and she still had her necklace. If that dream had originally been a premonition, then something since had changed, because she wasn’t powerless this time. Reality came back into focus, and her hand shot out to wrap around Neji’s ankle when he lunged forward to try and save Hinata. </p><p> </p><p>“No- what are you doing?!” He yelled at Ara, trying to shake her off. “I won’t let Hinata die!”</p><p> </p><p>“It isn’t your fate to decide! I believe in her, and if Hinata wants to die for this then you have no right to stop her from choosing that destiny,” Ara responded, holding onto his leg like their lives depended on it. Which they did. </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t know shit about her destiny, or mine! How can you say something so callous?”</p><p> </p><p>He snarled at her and continued to struggle, only to find himself trapped within a suffocating embrace once she’d found the strength to stand and fling her arms around his torso. Neji finally stilled once he saw the familiar bubble-like vortex of blue chakra surrounding Naruto and his cousin; the otherwise-lethal attack was easily deflected by Hinata’s barrier. The downpour of projectiles immediately eased up, slowing to a stop right as Hinata ceased her movements and knelt down beside Naruto to see if he was okay. </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t, I thought that….no one ever taught her the rotation technique,” Neji said, swallowing thickly. </p><p> </p><p>“None of <em> you </em> taught her. But I did,” Ara said. She could feel the rapid pounding of Neji’s heart through his back as his body scrambled to process the now-unnecessary flood of anxiety and adrenaline. </p><p> </p><p>Fighting against her own upset nerves, Ara buried her face into the back of his flak-jacket and took a moment to decompress before the chaos resumed. Kaguya’s betrayal, Ara’s imprisonment and subsequent escape, her time in the village and her training with Hinata which served as a catalyst for the Hyuga heiress to blossom; all of it had led Aratashiki Otsutsuki to this singular moment. To the exact place and time that she needed to be in order to help these people whom she had come to care for. If her dream was any indication, then Hinata’s personal growth hadn’t just saved Naruto her own lives, but Neji’s as well. </p><p> </p><p>Overwhelmed and flustered, Neji happened to find Ara’s almost painful squeezing of his upper body more comforting than bothersome. If she hadn’t stopped him….well, he was prepared to die only moments before. The years of turmoil, the struggle to conquer his own fate; he had nearly cast it all into the wind for someone who didn’t even require his protection.<b> In the end, Hinata had never needed Neji or anyone else to save her, because she was capable of saving herself</b> . Perhaps all along, what she’d <em> really </em> needed wasn’t a savior, but simply for her mentors and loved ones to believe in her. Instead they had acted like fools, treating her as a weakling and someone lesser-than.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Neji murmured. </p><p> </p><p>Feeling her strength return, Ara released him from her death grip and stepped back. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” </p><p> </p><p>The familiar, high-pitched whine accompanying the formation of a Bijuu bomb filled the air. Neji whirled around to face Ara, but she had already left to go and confront Madara again. Sighing, he jogged over to check on Naruto and Hinata. Sakura reappeared then - as well as Temari, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Tenten, Lee, Shino and Kiba - along with the rest of the allied forces, who spread out across the battlefield behind them.  </p><p> </p><p>Ara was sick and tired of this back-and-forth nonsense with the beast bombs; the monotony of the attacks was seriously boring her. She’d had her fill of bullshit, and it was time to smack some sense into that Uchiha bastard and his beautiful head of hair. Re-entering her transformed state, Ara quietly fumed as she watched the Juubi throw another fucking bomb at her. Locking eyes with Madara before the jutsu obscured their view of each other, Ara thrust out her palms and braced her arms, using her chakra to harden her flesh. </p><p> </p><p>The shinobi watched in shock as she just...caught the tailed beast bomb with her bare hands, and threw it right back at the Juubi.</p><p> </p><p>It fell over with a melodramatic screech, and Kitsuchi - the commander of the second division - jumped into action, using his Earth Release: Sandwich Technique to trap the enraged creature. The ground quaked as it wailed and thrashed around between the massive stone hemispheres, quickly breaking them apart. Madara had barely managed to get away in time, fleeing to a nearby ridge that was just out of reach of the Juubi’s tantrum. </p><p> </p><p>Now uninhibited and free from its captors, the ten-tails somehow managed to make itself even uglier by morphing into its second growth-stage. This new evolutionary phase resembled an extremely buff man with a small, bean-shaped head encircled by seven short horns, a square mouth, and of course ten individual tails sprouting out of its ass-cheeks. Ara cringed as she looked at the grotesque beast, mentally chastising herself for allowing it to manifest phase two in the first place. </p><p> </p><p>Naturally, the enhanced Juubi prepared to launch its apparently favorite jutsu. Again. Only this time, it was making probably the largest ball of chakra anyone present had ever seen. It was even larger than the meteors Madara had tried to drop on everyone an hour or so ago. </p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit-on-a stick, enough with the damn beast bombs!” Ara screeched, unable to contain her irritation. </p><p> </p><p>The bomb was so enormous that trying to swallow it with a rift into her Null dimension would take entirely too long. So, Aratashiki was forced to use what was essentially her physics trap card. This technique involved combining some of the aforementioned dark energy with her own chakra and sending it out in a burst toward whatever her target was. The mutated chakra would completely break down and destroy any matter that came into contact with it. Thankfully, the tailed beast bombs took on physical mass, so she could literally destroy them. The aftermath would ripple outwards through the atmosphere in a high-pressure blast wave that would certainly kill any person who wasn’t shielded from it. </p><p> </p><p>Since killing everyone wasn’t exactly part of her plan, Ara expended a decent chunk of her energy to wrap every single shinobi within the Allied Forces in a protective cloak of cyan chakra. Once her comrades were safe, she opened the rift inside of her pendant and withdrew its dark energy. With a great deal of control she began to blend it with her own spiritual energy, suspending the new compound in the space between her palms. </p><p> </p><p>“Eat shit, you ugly schmuck,” she said. </p><p> </p><p>Ara released the energy, projecting it towards the beast bomb and grinning to herself as it annihilated the Juubi’s chakra. It did occur to her that she <em> could </em> have just taken out the Juubi itself, but the ramifications of destroying such a huge repository of chakra along with each of the tailed beasts - who were sentient beings - didn’t sit well with her. She hadn’t come to earth to play God; everything happens for a reason, and from what she could tell humanity had a great deal to learn from this conflict. Of course, she would do her best to negate casualties and any other harmful effects, but to end the war in a single blow would do nothing to bolster their advancement as a species. Furthermore, it would set a precedent that she wasn’t comfortable with. Aratashiki wanted to help and to grow alongside her human companions, but she didn’t want to <em> lead </em> them. As tempting as it was to totally interfere, it just wasn’t her place to control their race’s destiny. </p><p> </p><p>When the blast wave had cleared, Ara rejoined her friends on the ground. If she hadn’t been exhausted after the first round, then she was definitely exhausted now. Other than the chakra she was using to cloak their army, her reserves were dangerously close to being empty. She could probably manage one more jutsu, but any more than that and she would be down for the count. It was time to take a breather while the Juubi recovered from nearly being flash-fried. </p><p> </p><p>Naruto was finally back to full health - minus Kurama, of course - and bounded over to Ara, wrapping her in an embrace. </p><p> </p><p>“Ara-chan, you’re incredible. I can’t thank you enough for protecting everyone in my place,” he said, releasing her from the hug. </p><p> </p><p>Startled by the contact and unexpected affection, Ara blinked up at him for a moment before responding. “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when Zetsu…” she trailed off, unable to speak of her failure. </p><p>His eyes darkened as he looked away from her. “Don’t apologize. You're not the one who messed up.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ara!” Sakura exclaimed, appearing next to Naruto. “Please rest - I can help you restore your chakra.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure, let me just, ah…” Ara decided against explaining, hastily de-transitioning for the second time and being careful to maintain the chakra auras she had placed around everyone. </p><p> </p><p>Sakura laughed, grabbing Ara’s arm and leading her over to a spot closer to the rest of their group and commanding Ara to pop a squat. Obeying, Ara sat cross-legged on the ground so that Sakura could kneel behind her. She felt a strange, ticklish sensation on her back as the kunoichi began mingling their chakras. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll get used to the feeling,” Sakura assured her, sensing Ara’s reaction. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’m not bothered. Thank you, Sakura.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t thank me until the war is actually over,” Sakura said, chuckling softly. </p><p> </p><p>The rest of their friend group crowded around and Hinata sat down across from Ara, reaching out to take hold of her hands. Hinata opened her mouth to speak once their eyes met, but struggled to form the words to express herself. Ara understood what she was trying to say, however, and gave Hinata’s hand a light squeeze to convey her acknowledgement. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry for lying about my identity, you know,” Ara said to no one in particular. The short reprieve from battle left her mind free enough to confront the guilt she felt for lying to her companions about who she was. Mildly panicking, Ara wondered if they were all afraid of her now or something. They had seen her transformation, after all, and it wasn’t something she’d ever thought of as being easy on the eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Pfft,” Kiba responded. “It's not like we didn’t think you were weird already. This just confirms it.” </p><p> </p><p>Ino smacked him on the arm, hissing at Kiba through gritted teeth. “Shut the hell up, you asshole.” </p><p> </p><p>“Honestly, I’m just relieved that you’re on <em> our </em> side Ara-chan,” Shino mumbled, and Choji nodded in agreement. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m mad at you, but I understand why you had to lie. I’ll get over it,” Tenten remarked, offering up her best attempt at a smile before swiveling her head to stare daggers at Neji. “Besides, you aren’t the only one who hid the truth from the rest of us. Right, Neji?”</p><p> </p><p>Neji bristled defensively. “Tenten, I didn’t have a choice! We were under direct orders from the Hokage not to speak of the matter unless explicitly told to do so.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well, it still feels shitty.” </p><p> </p><p>“Tenten, you have the rest of your life to chastise Neji’s behavior. Right now, we must stick together as a team!” Lee intervened, shaking Tenten by the shoulders. She rolled her eyes, and Neji sighed in exasperation. </p><p> </p><p>“Lee is right, you know,” Naruto commented as he joined the group. “There’s no time for-”</p><p> </p><p>Stopping mid-sentence, Naruto stared at the space behind Ara and Sakura. A small gust of wind blew past the group and ruffled the loose fabric of their clothing, accompanied by a soft thud as someone landed nearby. </p><p> </p><p>“No way,” Sakura whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Straining her neck, Ara turned around to see who the new arrival was. A man who couldn’t have been more than a few years older than them crouched on the ground with a large grin plastered on his face. Spiky blonde hair stuck out around his hitai-ate, and a pair of long, straight side-bangs framed his face. A white cloak with red flame detailing on the bottom billowed around him as he watched the group, his bright blue irises dulled by the pitch-black sclera surrounding them. This person had been summoned using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, but not by the same caster who had been controlling their enemies. She had felt when that summons was released, sometime during her game of chakra dodge-ball with Obito, Madara, and Gyuki - who had returned to B at some point during the monsoon of pointy sticks.  </p><p> </p><p>The man stood up, yanking the kunai in his hand out of the ground, and Ara noticed something written on a piece of scroll paper that was wrapped around the handle of the blade. Nin, Ai, Zhi, Ken - endurance, love, of, and sword - the Hiraishin formula. Confused, Ara wracked her brain for the information she had read about each of the kage. This couldn’t have been Tobirama Senju, because he was albino, and only one person in the records was noted to have used special kunai for this technique. </p><p> </p><p>“Am I late?” Minato asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, about nineteen years late,” Naruto muttered in disbelief. </p><p> </p><p>Chuckling nervously, Minato glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck. “Touché.”</p><p> </p><p>He should have been overwhelmed with joy to be able to meet his father, but instead Naruto felt confused and slightly angry as he struggled to process the sudden up-welling of emotions he’d kept bottled away for the majority of his life. The fact that his father was only a few years older than himself certainly wasn’t helping him to feel any less disturbed. </p><p> </p><p>“Why are you here? I don’t understand...nothing makes sense anymore,” Naruto said, shaking his head in frustration. </p><p> </p><p>Minato’s features softened into a look of concern as he stepped around the trio of women sitting in the dirt and approached his son. “Your boyfriend, Sasuke Uchiha, summoned me and the previous three Hokage and sent us here to aid in the battle.”</p><p> </p><p>The already silent group of shinobi plunged into an even deeper, more deafening silence, and Naruto’s face morphed into a grimace. Considering the fact that they were related, he should have expected his dad to immediately embarrass him in front of his friends. That was the duty of any good father, after all. A few of the aforementioned friends began to giggle quietly, including his girlfriend. Apparently only Sakura shared his horrified sentiment. </p><p> </p><p>“What the hell, dad! Sasuke is like a brother to me. We’re totally not gay!” Naruto said, scrambling to defend the fragile part of his ego that was - problematically - tied to his sexuality. “Hinata, back me up here!”</p><p> </p><p>If Sai had been there, he probably could have provoked Naruto into having a fistfight. A shame he was missing out on the goldmine that was the current topic.  </p><p> </p><p>Giggling madly, Hinata rose to her feet and slapped her boyfriend’s back playfully. “Well, you’re not <em> gay </em>, but that doesn’t mean-”</p><p> </p><p>“You know what, never mind, I’ve got this,” Naruto said, cutting her off before she could finish saying what everyone was thinking. </p><p> </p><p>Clearing his throat awkwardly, Minato decided it was high time to backpedal and switch to a less touchy subject. “Ah, well, your mother and I love you regardless. Anyhow...it is a pleasure to meet you, lady Hinata,” Minato said, smiling warmly at the woman who had managed to cuff his son. </p><p> </p><p>Blushing, Hinata bowed in respect. “It is my honor, Lord Fourth.” </p><p> </p><p>Aratashiki was enraptured by the entire exchange; the casual complexity of human interactions never ceased to amaze or puzzle her. They weren’t any more or less intricate than the communication habits of her own people, but due to her lack of socialization Ara was occasionally caught off guard during moments like these. It was as if two wordless conversations had occurred among the group at the same time as their spoken one. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you Naruto’s dad? Minato Namikaze?” Ara asked, stupidly. </p><p> </p><p>Unfazed by his demotion from Yondaime Hokage to ‘Naruto’s dad’,  Minato peered at the strange girl - perhaps a Hyuga as well, he thought - and nodded. “Yes, and you are…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Man, that’s a loaded question and we don’t have much time. I’m Aratashiki Otsutsuki. Uh, I’m also Regiment Captain Aratani Hoseki. Nice to meet you,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t miss the momentary look of surprise on Minato’s face when she announced her title. Thankfully, the man decided to just roll with the punches, since he was pretty out of the loop when it came to the past twenty or so years anyways. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Sasuke mentioned you,” Minato said, eyes wandering off in thought. </p><p> </p><p>Resisting the urge to ask him how the fuck Sasuke knew who she was, Ara ignored the remark and forced herself to get straight to the point. “So, as you;ve probably noticed, Kurama was extracted from Naruto. As you also probably know, it just so happens that the other half of his chakra is conveniently stored inside of <em> you </em>, Minato.” </p><p> </p><p>“Mm. Correct.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right. So, I’m going to open a portal and send you and Naruto to a safe little pocket dimension. I need you to seal your half of the Kyuubi inside of him, and I’m going to hold you guys outside of the timestream so you can get right back to us when you’re done,” Ara said. “Suspending the passage of time is going to put a bit of a strain on my chakra, so I need you to work as fast as possible.” </p><p> </p><p>Naruto glanced back and forth between Ara and his dad, trying to keep up with their conversation, and Minato nodded his head in agreement. “Great, I think that is the best course of action right now. Thank you for your help.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve made good use of your research on the Flying Thunder God technique, so consider us even,” she said, grinning. Minato perked up, pleased to hear that a shinobi of the new generation was keeping the jutsu that had been passed down from Lord Second to himself alive. “Alright,” Ara continued, “I’m going to open the portal now. Ready?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, on your command.” Minato turned to Naruto and gripped his arm. “I know this is a lot to process, but I hope you’ll trust me with this.” </p><p> </p><p>“Um...yeah, sure thing, dad,” Naruto stammered. Hinata squeezed his arm lovingly. </p><p> </p><p>“You can do this, Naruto. We all believe in you,” she said. </p><p> </p><p>Ara concentrated on manifesting the desired pocket in space time, using some of her newly-restored chakra to open a portal. Somehow, she had managed to keep everyone cloaked this entire time. “It's open. I’ll pull you out in about five minutes, our time - should only feel like an hour or two.” </p><p> </p><p>Hinata released her hold on Naruto’s arm, furrowing her brows in anxiety as the two men disappeared into the rift. “What if something goes wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re in my dimension, so I can see everything that happens. Don’t worry, Hinata,” Ara said, reassuring her friend. </p><p> </p><p>Ara twitched as Sakura untangled their chakra and withdrew her hands from Ara’s back. “You’re chakra reserves are so massive....I’ve restored as much as I can, but you’re still not at full capacity,” Sakura said. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s ok. Every little bit helps!” Ara turned her head to grin at Sakura, eternally grateful for the kunoichi’s assistance. </p><p> </p><p>Akamaru started growling at the same time that Ara noticed the appearance of yet another new character a short distance away. Neji darted forward to stand protectively between them and the stranger, gripping a kunai in each hand. Ara and Sakura stood up, the latter clutching onto Ara’s side in shock. Hinata mirrored the action, clinging onto Ara’s other arm as the two women gaped at their former classmate. </p><p> </p><p>“Hn. Thank you all for agreeing to see me,” the man said. His chin was upturned in arrogance, and he stood with his hands on his hips. A bit overconfident for someone wearing such a shitty outfit; it looked like he had stolen someone’s window curtain and tied it around his waist with the thickest, ugliest rope he could find. It was both ugly <em> and </em>impractical. </p><p> </p><p>“We didn’t, you just showed up and started talking,” Neji scoffed. </p><p> </p><p>“Enough, I don’t have time for a history lesson.” Sasuke openly judged Neji, without an ounce of recognition in his eyes. It was entirely possible that they had never spoken to each other before. Unimpressed, his gaze landed on Sakura instead. “Tch. Is that you, Sakura?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who the fuck is this emo douche?” Ara asked. </p><p> </p><p>“Sasuke-kun! Why?” Sakura gasped, hardly believing that her teammate - whom she hadn’t seen in years - was actually standing in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>“This is Sasuke Uchiha? Talk about being over-hyped,” Ara sneered. </p><p> </p><p>“For real. He’s clearly still suffering from a chronic lack of big-dick energy,” Hinata added, letting go of her friend so she could cross her arms and glare at Sasuke. </p><p> </p><p>Neji whipped his head around to stare incredulously at his cousin, having no idea what the fuck she was talking about. Sasuke ran a hand through his spiky black hair and laughed shortly.</p><p> </p><p>“Look. A lot of things have happened. I’ve decided to protect the leaf village. And then…” he paused for dramatic effect while his classmates continued to stare at him without saying anything. “I’ll become Hokage.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>Yeah, I literally had to draw this. You're welcome, and I'm not sorry. </p><p>xox</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Next Contestant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Introducing: Sasuke Uchiha. Re-introducing: Madara and the Senju brothers. The real effort to contain the Ten-tails begins. We catch up with Obito and Kakashi.</p><p>Full disclosure: The third Hokage was not resurrected for the war. Why the fuck would Sasuke bring him back; have you met Sasuke Uchiha? He got to kill Danzo, sure. Hiruzen was just as horrible in the massacre situation too, though - he literally gave the Uchiha version of Order 66. And Sasuke KNOWS about this. All Hiruzen did was cut Naruto out of a tree...which for spoiler reasons won't be necessary. So FUCK no, we don't need that geezer. I'm not the least bit sorry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Playlist </strong>for the previous chapter + this one(thematic...not necessarily quality)<strong>:</strong> <a href="https://youtu.be/9QAevjELLMs">youtube</a></p><p><strong>Madara:</strong> track 1</p><p><strong>Minato:</strong> track 6</p><p><strong>Sasuke:</strong> track 8</p><p><strong>Hashirama:</strong> track 11</p><p><strong>Tobirama:</strong> track 12</p><p><strong>Obito:</strong> tracks 25-28</p><hr/><p>
  <b> <em>“There is in every one of us, even those who seem to be most moderate, a type of desire that is terrible, wild, and lawless.”</em> </b>
</p><p>― Plato, The Republic</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 17: Next Contestant</b> </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura Haruno’s mind raced as she struggled to process the events of the past thirty seconds. She could hardly believe her eyes; her teammate, her friend, her first love - whom she hadn’t seen since he tried <em> twice </em> to kill her during the Five Kage summit - was actually standing in front of her. He was even wearing the same ridiculous outfit as the last time they’d crossed paths. It had only been a few months since then and yet:</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “Tch. Is that you, Sakura?” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That was the first thing that had pissed her off, and the goddamned “tch” only added fire to her fury. Perhaps it was time that she acknowledged the fact that he might really be an asshole, through and through. The cherry on top, however, was the impressively misguided proclamation that had just come out of his mouth. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At first, no one reacted. Sakura reacquired her confidence, letting go of Ara’s arm and standing tall. Then, she started to laugh. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hokage? <em> Seriously? </em>” she mocked. “You know, Sasuke, I’ve justified a lot of your bullshit over the years. I’ve tried to be empathetic, even when you made a genuine attempt on my life. But I legitimately cannot come up with a single reason as to why you would think that becoming Hokage is even a remote possibility.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke was taken aback by her words; in all their years Sakura had never said anything like that, or actually challenged him. It was unprecedented. He should have been offended, but instead....he was impressed. Suddenly, Sasuke was seeing his teammate in a new light - one that eradicated the feeble, hesitant girl that he’d tried to take out. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I have no idea what’s happened to you during the past few years, but I agree - that’s just an impossibility. Do you even know what you’re saying?” Shikamaru asked. No amount of genius could find sense in Sasuke’s words.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah, you can’t come back all of a sudden and crack lame jokes! Do you even get what it means to be hokage?” Kiba yelled, stalking towards the rogue with Akamaru on his heels.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji threw out an arm to stop Kiba when he tried to pass, shooting a warning glare at his impulsive comrade. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I understand if you all can’t forgive me. However, it doesn’t really matter what any of you think of me,” Sasuke said. “The previous kage - namely, the third - created these circumstances. Which is why I have to become Hokage, and change the village.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The group listened, waiting for him to elaborate. They waited for several moments before anyone spoke up. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay...so, care to share what you mean by that? Do you have specific changes in mind, or a plan?” Sakura asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I do have a plan. An infallible one. I just haven’t come up with it yet,” Sasuke responded. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Listen up, you son of a bitch,” Hinata growled. “Naruto is the one who’s going to be Hokage!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah right. <em> I’m </em>going to be Hokage!” Kiba exclaimed. He was dead serious. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Everyone turned to look at Kiba simultaneously, and Neji took a step back from the man. People were being particularly stupid today; he couldn’t talk to any more of them. But when Ara, Hinata, and Sakura started to roast Kiba for his profoundly ridiculous statement, Neji was almost tempted to join in. Almost. Soon, the entire rest of the group - including Sasuke - had entered into a heated debate as to what made someone worthy of being the Hokage. They’d gotten so involved in the discussion, that Neji was the only one out of the group who noticed the arrival of two of the previous, <em> actual Hokage </em>. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Several of the leaf shinobi standing nearby on the battlefield recognized the first and second Hokage as well, gasping and pointing their fingers at them in disbelief. Since they were all wrapped in her chakra, Ara sensed the shift in energy - quickly abandoning the argument and turning around to focus on their stimulus. Before her stood the First Hokage, and next to him...her human icon. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No way,” she whisper-yelled. “Tobirama sensei!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He appeared to have heard her, and recoiled in confusion. Tobirama was about to question the identity of this stranger - who was most certainly <em> not </em> one of his students - when a familiar, detestable chakra entered his proximity. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, show yourself!” Hashirama demanded.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara landed on top of an outcropping nearby, locking eyes with his eternal rival. “Hashirama! It's about damn time; I’ve been-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tobirama teleported directly in front of the Uchiha, leaving only a few centimetres of space between their bodies. “Fancy seeing you here, Uchiha.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Groaning, Madara shoved the other man away from him. “Thank you, Senju scum. I’m so glad that you ruined my dramatic entrance,” he said sarcastically.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Your antics ruined the project I was working on during my peaceful afterlife, so let’s call it even.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh? And what would that be?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well, I had this idea for a trading card game. It uses a rarity ranking system, categorizing various famous and influential Konoha ninjas. Each of them would have their own trading card with a cool picture, some statistics extrapolated from their battle experiences and combat skills, and also a fun fact. The cards could be competed, traded, and collected as a means for the youngsters to stay educated about their village’s history. As opposed to a boring classroom lecture, they would be able to have fun while learning to appreciate their elders.” Tobirama explained this without suppressing the passion in his voice, surprising Madara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>One of the leaf shinobi within earshot - Ereki Kaminarimon - thought the card game sounded like a fantastic idea, and was already tossing around brand names in his head. It would be a perfect future venture for the company he planned on starting once the war ended, should his other inventions become successful.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’ve certainly put a lot of thought into this. Need I remind you that you are <em> dead </em>?” Madara jeered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Death is nothing but an exceptionally stubborn inconvenience. I won’t let it inhibit my innovative ideas and creative expression.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fair enough. I suppose it didn’t stop me either,” Madara relented. “Oh no. Have we come to an understanding?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Of course not, what an absurd suggestion!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes, but I really think that-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Just shut up already. I have nothing more to say to you. You’re way too pathetic…I’m done wasting my breath.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tobirama huffed angrily, teleporting back to his amused elder brother’s side. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t sulk little brother, I think it’s a wonderful idea!” Hashirama exclaimed, patting Tobirama on the back. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That doesn’t reassure me at all.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hashirama’s posture collapsed as he plunged into one of his gloom and doom episodes. Madara yelled at Tobirama for triggering Hashirama and further delaying their duel, which snapped the individual in question out of his despair. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara - I’ll deal with you later,” Hashirama said, dismissing him. Madara’s face fell, shoulders slumping forward while he pouted. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You haven’t changed a bit,” he whined. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Of course I haven’t, you omnicidal maniac. I stopped doing that after I turned eighteen!” Shaking his head in exasperation, Hashirama disengaged from the conversation, instead turning his attention towards the group of young shinobi who had finally stopped bickering. “First, I’ve got to assist this generation’s youth with defeating the ten-tails!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Brother, we need to seal it-” Tobirama began to say, before being cut off by his distracted sibling.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Where the fuck is that Minato guy?” Hashirama asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara had been so distracted that she’d forgotten to pull Naruto and Minato back from her pocket dimension. They had probably been in there for hours at that point. Acting swiftly, she opened the rinnegan on her palm and summoned a portal. Ara called out to the two men, who she could see standing around and chatting, and grabbed their attention. They immediately rushed out, the rift closing behind them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Though Naruto’s emotions were substantially calmer than before they’d gone in, Ara was genuinely concerned about how he might react to seeing Sasuke. Especially since, as she could see, Kurama’s chakra had been successfully sealed back inside of him. She could already feel the fox’s hate boner rising in the presence of the Uchihas. It wasn’t normally her prerogative to tamper with people’s minds, but Ara felt compelled to prime Naruto for their reintroduction. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Before he had time to notice Sasuke’s presence, Ara darted over to Naruto and grabbed the sides of his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. Startled, he tried to pull away - stopping short once Ara began relaying her memories of everything that had occurred while he and Minato were away. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That bastard…” Naruto’s features hardened, and he silently thanked Ara for the information. She released him so that he could confront his estranged best friend.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hearing Minato say her name, Ara made her way over to the three zombie Hokage. Minato and Hashirama looked at her expectantly; Tobirama, on the other hand, was sizing her up. He made no effort to hide his doubts about whatever Minato had said to them about her. If she weren’t busy trying not to fangirl Ara would have called him out. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kage level, you say?” Tobirama said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“At the very least, yes. She has an alternate dimension, similar to the Kamui ability used by Uchiha possessing the Mangekyou Sharingan,” Minato explained as Ara approached. Tobirama frowned at the mention of the Uchiha clan. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“She looks more like a Hyuga to me.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well I’m not an Uchiha <em> or </em> a Hyuga, so calm your tits,” Ara said, coming to a stop in front of the three men. Hashirama laughed loudly in response to her shutdown while she continued. “I’m Aratashiki Otsutsuki. It’s an honor to meet you Lord Second, Lord First.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She started to bow out of respect, but Hashirama stopped her. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No need for that formality nonsense sweetheart,” Hashirama said. “So tell me, Ara...shiitake - who started this war, anyways?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His pronunciation of her name left a lot to be desired, but making a deal out of being referred to as a type of mushroom would be petty. Not that she was always above being petty.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Um…” Ara paused, blanking on the masked man’s pseudonym. Containing her urge to go full-stan on Tobirama was hogging most of her psychological bandwidth. “This guy named Tobi, but we don’t-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“TOBIRAMA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Hashirama screamed, violently shaking his younger brother by the shoulders. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tobirama punched him in the stomach and shoved him away. “You IDIOT! Why would you even assume that I have anything to do with this?!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Minato stepped between the two men and put his hands out to keep them apart, while Ara turned purple in the attempt to contain her laughter. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh fiddlesticks, please settle down,” Minato said. “If you two can’t get along it’s really going to ruffle my feathers.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Elsewhere beyond the veil, Kushina Uzumaki was watching over her husband and child, listening to their interactions. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees, pleading for her husband to just say the word fuck. Minato hadn’t cursed even once the entire time she had known him; this wouldn’t have been a problem if it weren’t for the ludicrous words or phrases he used as substitutions. One of the two occasions during which he had been angry enough to insult her, Minato called her a ‘gabagool-brained, scruffy-looking nerf-herder with a severe case of Schrodinger’s chocolate pocket’. The Fourth Hokage took the meaning of those words to his grave.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Coughing, Hashirama rubbed circles into his sore abdomen. “I’m sorry, Tobirama - you know how sensitive I am about war politics. I couldn’t bear the thought.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If only your wit was as quick as your reaction time. You’re a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sighing in defeat, Minato dropped his arms to rub his temples. Those two were starting to give him a headache. Ara was taking deep breaths and fanning her face, thinking about how lame Neji’s insults were by comparison in an attempt to quell her amusement. The two men continued to bicker until Minato finally snapped - in the back of his mind, he knew Kushina would be proud of him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shut the fuck up! I’m going to lose. My. Shit. If you two don’t stop <em> right this instant </em>.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They both straightened, immediately mollified by the palpable fury emanating from their successor. Minato closed his eyes, controlling his breathing; as unbecoming as his language had been, it sure felt good to use. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Right. Now then,” Hashirama said, clearing his throat and carrying on as if nothing had happened. “Let’s get to dealing with the Ten-Tails; it’s charging right at us!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara, Tobirama, and Minato turned their heads in unison to see for themselves. If they hadn’t felt a sense of urgency before, they certainly did now. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“One of us will need to teach her the sealing technique,” Tobirama pointed out. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I love how we’re always on the same page, Tobirama. I’ll let you show her the ropes while Minato and I get the rest of the troops into position.” Hashirama and Minato left before he had time to object. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Same page? We aren’t even reading the same book,” Tobirama muttered. “We’re not even in the same library.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The historical scrolls hadn’t said anything about Hashirama Senju’s eccentric personality, nor did they mention Tobirama Senju having such a volatile temper. However, the latter was far more attractive than he was an asshole. So far. She could let this slide.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke had been standing a few feet apart and staring intensely into one another’s eyes for quite some time now. Everyone else assumed they were communicating in their own ‘special’ way or something, and left them alone. They chattered uneasily while watching the Juubi aggressively waddle towards them. Fortunately, the massive creature was still only moving at a snail’s pace, despite its vigor. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Thanks again for healing me Sakura,” Naruto said, as both him and Sasuke suddenly broke from their mutual trance. “Come on, Sasuke.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The two of them ran off together, heading for the ridge lining a small crater Gyuki had created. While everyone else was playing catch-up, he and Killer B had taken the initiative to try and keep the Juubi distracted. They did so by - as one could guess - pelting it with tailed-beast bombs. Watching Naruto and Sasuke go, Sakura clenched her fists in rage.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She was sick and tired of staring at their backs. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sprinting after them, she quickly caught up and joined her ignorant teammates. Without giving them the opportunity to react in some demeaning way, Sakura spoke up for herself. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You think I’m some weak woman - you think Lady Tsunade was the <em> only </em> Sannin to give inadequate training to her student?” Sakura asked. “I know you think I’m useless. I didn’t exactly give you a good enough reason to think otherwise. But I’m done sitting back and letting you guys be the main protagonists in my own fucking life. I’m a part of team seven too, and a student of a legendary sannin. I don’t need to prove shit to you two; however, I’m still going to ensure that you never make the mistake of underestimating me again.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Alright!” Naruto exclaimed, grinning. He hadn’t ever intended to make Sakura feel unimportant, but realized that his behavior might not have reflected this fact. Just like with Hinata, seeing Sakura become assertive and confident didn’t make him feel threatened; rather, in both cases it made Naruto admire each of them even more. “Team seven is back in business!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto and Sasuke watched with great interest as a dark purple, diamond-shaped mark appeared on Sakura’s forehead. Smirking, she balled a fist and clapped her other hand over it with enthusiasm.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Damn. I always knew there was a greater purpose for that big forehead of yours,” Sasuke said, nonchalantly.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Time stopped. Everything was frozen, silent; Sasuke looked around for a moment, confused. Then it occurred to him that perhaps this was what a genjutsu felt like. But who would be bold enough to try and trap him in one? Sasuke scoffed to mask his unease, breaking out of it effortlessly. The sounds of the world came flooding back just in time for him to see the fist hurtling toward his face. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“SHANNAROOOO!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura was mere millimetres away from obliterating his head when Sasuke jumped out of the way. She slammed into the ground instead, and the resulting shock wave shattered the earth beneath them, sending chunks of rock flying into the air.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the fuck, Sakura. You could have <em> killed </em> me!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Her head snapped to the side, and the homicidal glint in her eyes chilled Sasuke to the bone. Even Naruto shivered; he could see the killing intent radiating from the kunoichi. ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’, as Jiraiya used to say. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hn,” Sasuke responded, throwing his hands up in surrender. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As if a switch was flipped, Sakura’s anger immediately dissipated. She stood up, dusting off her knees and blowing out an imaginary flame on her fist. Cocking her head to the side, she smiled sweetly. “Good. I’m glad your clan still has a future, Sasuke-kun.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Whistling, Naruto glanced back and forth between the two, biting his tongue. He wasn’t stupid enough to poke the pink-haired bear. In fact, he was going to make sure that he never pissed her off again; she would destroy him. Keeping his face neutral so as not to reveal the terror that hadn’t yet left his system, Sasuke carefully resumed his place next to Naruto. On the opposite side from Sakura. She may not have cracked his skull, but she <em> had </em> cracked the mental dam that kept all of Sasuke’s emotions contained. And now they were leaking out. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay guys, usual formation,” Naruto commanded as the Juubi inched closer. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What’s the usual formation?” Sasuke asked, swallowing nervously. He really hoped that it wasn’t a reference to some strategy he’d forgotten about. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Varies.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Now he was panicking, the internal chorus of distraught screams threatening to break free. His skin was cold and clammy, muscles jittering with anxiety. It felt like his throat was constricting, like he was going to choke on his own breath. Sasuke didn’t understand what was happening. </p><p>An overwhelming sense of doom dominated his being as his heart beat faster and faster; perhaps he was dying. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“How can the usual formation vary?!” Sasuke cried, his shoulders beginning to shake. He needed to throw up, or pass out. Maybe both. Within a matter of seconds he was no longer inside of his own body. Consciously, Sasuke knew he hadn’t <em> literally </em> left his body - but he felt disconnected from reality. Like he was spectating through a foggy window, and someone else was participating in his place. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Can you just chill out, Sasuke?” Sakura snapped, rolling her eyes. When the only response was the sound of Naruto making weird noises, she looked over at her silent teammate. “Sasuke?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>All of a sudden her senses were on high-alert as her medical training kicked in. Sasuke’s mouth hung open slightly as he hyperventilated, a distant look in his eyes. Mild convulsions jostled his limbs and a thin sheen of cold sweat coated his skin. Sakura hurried over to him, wracking her brain to try and figure out what was going on with him. It couldn’t have been poison, and a cardiac event was unlikely. He also had not collapsed - despite the muscle shakes - so she wasn’t certain that it wasn’t a seizure either. She ran through the events of the past couple of minutes while she and Naruto grabbed a hold of him, forcing him to sit down before he fell. The only things that had happened since she’d run up to them were their conversation, and the weak genjutsu she put him under to serve as a distraction while she tried to knock his head off.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Guilt and dread filled her stomach. It was the genjutsu.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As a medical doctor and psychologist Sakura should have known better, despite the emotionless front Sasuke always put up. After all, it was a facade - a defense mechanism, not reality. Kneeling across from him, Sakura gently rested her hands on his shoulders and pushed them back a bit, opening up his chest so that he could breathe better. She instructed Naruto to stand back. Crowding him ran the risk of making things worse, and Naruto wasn’t exactly hiding his own distress - which would make it difficult for her to ground Sasuke. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She spoke in a calm, low voice and looked into his eyes. “Sasuke, what you are experiencing right now is a panic attack. You aren’t dying - you’re safe with us.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He blinked at her, hopefully a sign that he’d heard and understood her words. A good start, but she needed to slow down his breathing.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m going to count to four, and I want you to try and breathe in sync with my voice - in for four beats, out for four - okay?” Sasuke blinked again, so she began the exercise. “One, two, three, four...one, two, three…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura continued counting over and over again; he eventually stopped shaking, and his breathing slowed down a bit. After a few minutes she stopped, letting him continue on his own so she could focus on remedying his dissociation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You are safe,” she told him. Sakura repeated this statement incessantly until Sasuke reconnected with their reality. The clarity returned to his gaze and his mouth slammed shut, shame replacing most of whatever he had been feeling previously. Sasuke wordlessly shrugged off Sakura’s hands and scrambled to his feet, withdrawing his sword and walking past her in the direction of the Juubi. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke, wait,” Sakura called after him, springing to her feet. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Come on,” he said, ignoring her protests. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked over at her with sympathy, but gestured for her to follow Sasuke with him. The way he’d treated her pissed him off, and Sasuke would pay for it once this was all over. “Don’t let him get to you. He’ll come around in his own time, Sakura-chan.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>On the other side of the battlefield, Tobirama and Ara had teleported to one of the kunai markers Minato placed around the ten-tails on his way to join the fight. Ara listened intently as the Second Hokage instructed her on how to construct her totem of the barrier jutsu. The technique they would be using was known as the Four Red Yang Formation, and it was the second-highest level barrier technique known to man, behind the Six Red Yang Formation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Are you ready?” Tobirama asked, once he was done explaining. He didn’t even need to <em> try </em> to sense her chakra to know that she had more than enough available - it was <em> that enormous </em> of an amount, like a beacon screaming ‘my dick is bigger than yours’. If not for his duty to the safety of the village being top priority, Tobirama wouldn’t have hesitated to drop everything and interrogate her. Not in a sinister way, just in an aggressively curious way. There was no way she was completely human, although he didn’t personally know what <em> else </em> she could possibly be. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes,” Ara replied, already infusing chakra. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hm. We’re counting on you.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Not a great way to relieve the pressure, in Ara’s opinion. It was almost as if charisma failed to even exist as a concept within his version of reality. Tobirama teleported away, and not a moment later she heard Hashirama yell out the command for them to proceed with the sealing.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “Ninja Art: Four Crimson Ray Formation!” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As the words suggested, a ray of crimson chakra shot upwards from each spot that the four of them were positioned at. The gaps in-between the beams filled in with more chakra from the ground-up, creating a huge rectangular barrier around the Juubi. Screeching in outrage, it banged its tails against the walls of the prison like a toddler having a meltdown over being fed mashed peas. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And I think I’m going to add,” Hashirama began, grinning triumphantly while he entered his sage mode. “Sage Art: Gracious Deity Gates!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ten large, wooden torii gates fell from the sky and pinned down each of the Juubi’s tails. Then another even larger torii gate appeared, hooking around its neck and forcing it’s head down to the ground, completely trapping the beast. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>First the wood clones, and now this - Ara concluded that Hashirama Senju was some kind of master arborist. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I am the Hokage: I speak for the Trees!” He exclaimed, laughing.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Evidently, a tree fanatic in general. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>To say the Juubi was upset about being trapped would be an understatement. Surprising absolutely no one, it’s first reaction to imprisonment was to make another beast bomb to try and blow up the barrier. The head of the beast opened up like a flower as it entered its final - but no less ugly - form, appearing to literally puke up its insides in order to create the bomb. The attack backfired hilariously when the barrier stayed put, trapping the Juubi inside with its own explosion. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Defying all expectations, the creature decided to change up its strategy. Instead of continuing to blast everything in sight it began sending out wave after wave of vision beings - basically, fake mini-clones - to counter the swarm of ninjas entering through the barrier to attack. The sizes of the clones ranged from tiny to ‘Choji whenever he does that expansion jutsu thing’. Naruto appeared by Ara’s side to discuss their next moves.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sakura, Sasuke and I can take care of things here,” Naruto said. “You should go after Madara and that masked guy.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Agreed, I’ve been dying to kick their asses. But I’m not sure if my multitasking abilities are sharp enough to maintain the chakra shrouds I’ve put around everyone,” Ara said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Leave that to me,” Naruto said, jerking a thumb towards his chest. “Besides, Kurama’s chakra will be a better match to the color palette of the war zone.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I suppose you have a point there. Alright - give ‘em hell, Naruto!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They parted with a patty-cake high-five fist-bump blow-it-up handshake, and Ara withdrew her chakra from the rest of the shinobi. She waited until the battlefield lit up with orange chakra before making a clone. Trading places with her double so that the barrier wouldn’t fail, Ara abandoned her post and teleported over to Hashirama. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Is everything alright?” Hashirama asked nervously.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah, everything is f-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Wonderful! I’m going to go and confront Madara then, if that’s alright with you.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Uh, yeah, of course. I’m also splitting off to go after Tobi, which is what I came to tell you.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hashirama scowled. “Dear god! What has Tobirama done this time?!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara sighed. She was starting to question how this man managed to allegedly establish <em> and </em> lead an entire village. He was just so...dorky. Not that she was one to talk. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I meant the guy who started the war, not your brother,” she said.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah, right. My bad,” Hashirama said, chuckling. “Anyways. Let us bounce!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara was sitting on his rock - chin in hand - watching the conflict with a bored expression and growing more impatient with each passing moment. After all these years apart, the least Hashirama could’ve done was greet him properly before blowing him off. He should have known that his old friend would use any excuse to avoid another throw down. Standing up to get a better view, Madara searched the combatants for the <em> real </em> Hashirama while tapping his foot in frustration. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was then that he felt the presence behind him. Turning around, he saw that Hashirama was standing a few strides away with his gaze aimed suspiciously close to where Madara’s rear end was. The fool never ceased to shock and appall him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Quit staring at my ass!” Madara hissed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I would if it wasn’t so frickin’ huge,” Hashirama laughed. When they were children, he would often stand behind Madara whenever the Uchiha took a piss, just to make him uncomfortable. Because of this, he had become very sensitive regarding the subject of his peach.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“HASHIRAMAAAA!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He lunged at his rival, partially manifesting his Susanoo around one of his fists to strengthen the blow. Hashirama blocked his attack with a large wooden fist, and the two men simultaneously jumped apart from the collision. They stood and growled at each other, Madara cloaking himself in the rest of his Susanoo while Hashirama infused natural energy to prepare the use of his sage mode. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What happened to you, Madara? I knew I never should have let you stop coming to our book club. I can’t believe you’ve done this.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Despite his angered expression, Madara could see the lingering sadness behind Hashirama’s eyes when he spoke. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes you can. You just refuse to accept reality, Hashirama. In this world, wherever there is light there are also shadows-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Good grief, you’re still hung up on that line. Even I know how light works! Of course everything has a shadow - that’s just a side effect of the sunshine,” Hashirama said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It’s a metaphor, you nincompoop! Now let me finish…” Madara took a deep breath to calm himself - even though such a thing was virtually impossible - before continuing. “As long as the concept of winners exist, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace is what causes wars, and hatred is born to protect love.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“There are so many problems with what you’ve just said. First of all, your <em> hatred </em> is only born so that you can murder your problems instead of dealing with them.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Nonsense. You’ll never understand.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ignoring him, Hashirama continued to deconstruct Madara’s argument. “Secondly, you’re right - winners literally cannot exist without losers. However, mixed mushroom soup also cannot exist without the concept of mushrooms. Neither can life without death. Immortality without mortality. My short attention-span without the ability to focus. Gloves without hands. Wine without alcohol-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Tch. That was almost a decent argument until you derailed it with the last example.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Whatever, it isn’t technically wrong. But anyhow, lastly and most importantly: the hypocrisy of your effort to achieve peace by starting the largest war in history is, frankly, incomprehensible.” Satisfied with his rebuttal, Hashirama straightened his posture and folded his arms across his chest. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“About that. What is the saying about two wrongs making a right?” Madara asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Two wrongs <em> don’t </em> make a right.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara paused, rubbing his chin in thought. “No, that’s not it.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re wrong about everything. I’ve never heard anything more wrong, not even from my own mouth. Not even that one time I argued with Mito that periods could be avoided with a proper diet…” he drifted off, lost in the memory of his wife dragging him out of bed by the hair. She hauled him down the hallways until they reached the doors leading to their courtyard, where she promptly threw his barely-clothed person out into the snow. Mito locked the doors and didn’t let him back inside until morning. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Say, what was it that killed you? I’m starting to think that it might really have been Mito,” Madara said. Hashirama was stupid. Talking to him was like talking to a really good-looking and mildly stupid brick wall. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hah! Wouldn’t you like to know.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Annoyed by his cryptic answer, Madara decided it was time to start scrapping again. They’d always had a bad habit of talking for the majority of their battles, instead of actually attacking one another. Old habits die hard. Raising the sword of his Susanoo, Madara prepared to strike Hashirama down once and for all. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That’s right - come at me! I’m putting the ‘sin’ back in Senju. I’m bringing sexy back!” Hashirama declared, creating his Veritable One-Thousand Armed Kan’on wood-golem to smack the Susanoo. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re the reason it left in the first place!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>After Hashirama left, Aratashiki set out on her mission to track down Kakashi and Tobi. She stopped to check on Minato and Tobirama first, making sure that they were holding up okay and keeping them both in the loop. Minato assured her that he was fine, and Tobirama pretended like he wasn’t upset that he was missing out on the battle with Madara. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Team Seven, Team Eight, Team Ten, and Team Guy were handling things brilliantly on the battlefield. Ara’s heart swelled with pride as she watched Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten working as a unit to beat the shit out of the masses of grotesque vision-beings. In such a male-dominated world - and army, no less - seeing her friends putting their male comrades to shame was more than satisfying. Sometimes being a kunoichi was like being a Senju...everyone says they’re nice and important, but they take second place all the time. The destruction of that notion was long overdue. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>One of Hashirama’s clones darted over to check on Tobirama as well, doting on the man and asking him if he needed some chakra, or a snack. Ara took that as her cue to leave. The second hokage was eternally grateful for her keen departure; the fewer witnesses there were to his elder brother’s embarrassing affections, the better. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As she walked away, Ara morphed into her demonic state once again. She knew that Tobi’s mangekyou sharingan had space-time ninjutsu capabilities, so the first place she decided to look was, well, in other dimensions. This task would be accomplished by using the one dojutsu she hadn’t yet revealed to the others. However, she needed some trace of his chakra to properly track him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was a long shot, but she recalled back to when he and Madara had performed their little musical number, and the rock Tobi used as a drum during it. Realistically, rocks didn’t make noises even remotely similar to a drum because they weren’t hollow. This led her to believe that perhaps - in the same way Madara had used chakra strings to strum his gunbai - Tobi had infused the rock with his chakra to somehow imitate the noises. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tobirama and Hashirama’s clone watched her transformation in shock, too stunned to question Aratashiki before she flew away. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“How did she do that?” Hashirama’s clone wondered aloud.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“One moment she’s human, and the next she’s some kind of….some kind of….” Tobirama paused, struggling to find a word that fit. “Well I don’t know what she is but she’s different.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Landing on top of the butte that was her destination, Ara walked over to the rock of interest and opened the third, hidden eye on her forehead. She hadn’t used the Jogan since escaping from her father’s dimension, and the memory of it all brought back unpleasant emotions. However, she had a much more important task at hand - it was imperative that she confronted Tobi first. Her plans had changed; or rather, she had finally come up with one in the first place. If she and her companions could get Tobi or Madara to repent, then they just might be able to avoid Kaguya’s resurrection completely. Which would make it significantly easier for Ara to eliminate her. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The simple thought of taking out her cousin filled her with anticipatory bliss. Even if her motives were justified, the involuntary and pleasurable reaction disgusted Aratashiki. It was a reminder that she was and always would be an Otsutsuki; and that meant that the destructive, parasitic nature of her people still lingered within her. Ara shook her head violently in the hopes that it would clear her thoughts. This tactic was psychologically ineffective, but the movement did help her to get on with things. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Walking over to the rock-turned-impromptu-drum kit, she knelt down and placed her hands on the surface. Using her byakugan and her own chakra to search for anomalies, she probed the mass for any traces of Tobi’s energy. Just as she had hoped and suspected, Ara immediately found small amounts of the man’s chakra lingering near the surface of the stone. Feeling smug, she extracted the chakra and analyzed its unique signature before rising to her feet. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With his chakra nature memorized, the Jogan allowed her to see Tobi’s movements over the last couple of hours, appearing as a faint mist of chakra that trailed across the landscape. She followed it all the way back to where the Juubi and the Allied Forces were duking it out, eventually stopping at a residual disturbance in their dimension. Using her rinnegan, she reopened the otherwise imperceptible scar in space-time and thrust herself into the Kamui Dimension. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara’s first impression of the space was that it had a very sleek, geometric, and minimalist appearance. The surface consisted of interlocking stones shaped into rectangular prisms of various heights, and the sky was completely black; the dim lighting gave the whole area a tastefully ominous vibe. Obito and Kakashi were relaxing on their backs, hands tucked behind their heads as they chatted in low voices. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Why did you forgive me so easily?” Kakashi asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t know, I guess....” Obito trailed off, thinking. “You’re sexy now, I didn’t take that into account.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the fuck does-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ahem,” Ara said, calling their attention. Part of her didn’t even want to know what they were talking about. The pair jumped to their feet, startled  by her unexpected intrusion. “Are you aware that there is a war going on out there?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi burned under her gaze. “We were just...catching up.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“How the fuck did you even get here, who are you?” Obito asked, incredulous.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Irritated, Ara looked over at the un-masked man, seeing his face for the first time. The right half of his face was heavily scarred - almost wrinkled looking - from some past injury. She felt her homicidal urges for this man beginning to resurface, and if circumstances were different he wouldn’t have survived their encounter hours before. “I’ll be asking the questions here, you heartless bastard.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito giggled and her eyes trailed downwards, noticing the large hole in his chest. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I see...well, I know the feeling,” Ara mumbled, refusing to look at Kakashi. “Anyways, it's been obvious for a while that you aren’t Madara Uchiha. Care to introduce yourself?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t see why my identity makes a difference, seeing as nobody cared who I was until I put on a mask. However, I suppose I can indulge you a bit. I am the undertaker, the man behind the curtain, he who shall sever the nexuses of this world-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Obito Uchiha. My former teammate who was presumed to have been dead for the past 16 years,” Kakashi interjected. It was plain to see how tired he was of the other man’s antics.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In her own mind, Ara cringed at the referral to himself as the ‘man behind the curtain’; he would come to see how misguided that was. Soon. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay, so….what exactly happened here? Like, why aren’t one or both of you dead?” Ara asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi’s eyes flickered to Obito and he took a step towards Ara, holding his hands out. “It’s complicated. Please, hear me out before you pass judgement.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She regarded him warily, unsure of where this was all going but hoping that it was going someplace good. Ara listened in silence while Kakashi and Obito went back and forth explaining their history, his motivations, and why they had come to an understanding despite all that had happened. The truth of the man behind the orange mask - and of Kakashi’s dark past as well - was horrifically sad. A drawn out series of traumas that had pushed the Uchiha to his breaking point, and to top it all off he was permanently shoved into the place that struck fear in the hearts of even the most brave and powerful of men: the friend zone. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I guess what I’m trying to say is that, I’m not able to honestly say that Obito - or even Madara, perhaps - is entirely wrong. Our system is deeply flawed. Corrupt, broken, out of touch.” Kakashi spoke with conviction, his eyes searching hers for any sign of consideration.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What luck, Ara thought. They were making things much easier; it was a great relief to hear that these people were at least coming within sight of the values that would allow them to prosper, and doing so of their own accord. Even if, so far, said individuals had gone about achieving said values <em> completely </em> wrong, the self-reflection itself was at least a solid starting point. Already, straying from the same path that led her own civilization to develop so brutishly.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“This isn’t to imply that he should go without punishment,” Kakashi continued, “but right now, he could actually be useful in helping us end all of this.”</p><p> </p><p>She knew that Kakashi was probably banking on their unspoken mutual trust and shared ideals. If he had reached the same conclusion as she had in formulating her loosely-constructed plan, then at least Ara had some small confirmation that peaceful resolution wasn’t a completely unrealistic goal.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I agree,” she said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They both appeared taken-aback; Obito especially. “Really? I could sense your killing intent the last time we spoke-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t make the mistake of assuming you are forgiven. From my perspective - while I do sympathize with your motivations - your continued existence is simply what will benefit me the most in helping these people. I’m sure you know what will happen if that changes, so I suggest you don’t make things difficult.”</p><p> </p><p>“I get it now. I'm in hell,” Obito said, sulking. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And just who’s fault is that?” Kakashi remarked. “Save your angst for later.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Reopening a rift and turning to leave, Ara looked back over her shoulder at the two men. “Stay put. Or leave - doesn’t matter, I’ll still find you. I’m going to round up the others. Back in a jiffy!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a wink and a devious smile she disappeared through the portal, leaving Obito and Kakashi alone to wonder who the ‘others’ were. She was planning something unconventional, but as to what that was they hadn’t any idea.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="gtx-trans-icon">
    <p> </p>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh boy I am excited. Remember how I promised [major canon divergence]? Yeah, we're cranking it up in the next few chapters, we're shaking it like a can of bees. Also excited to finally start breaching more of the characters' psychology, since in my opinion that's a preeeetty important part of life and shouldn't be ignored. I hear you Sasuke...I'm here for you. </p><p>This probably isn't necessary, but I like to be transparent and remind people that I'm re-writing the canon so yes, some character outcomes will change as a result of that. All [relatively] good things in the end, though, because I'm all about that sweet karma; which, no, is not the same as "an eye for an eye"(No Uchiha pun intended). Karma as a concept is much more complex and transcends lifetimes. Also, I love these characters and this isn't an angst fic....I am going to push them towards whatever semblance of a happy ending they can get. In a realistic way, not a fairy-tale way. Think "home owner, stable job, pet dog, car with decent gas mileage, loved ones" type of happy endings. The modern man's dream.</p><p>Anyways now I'm just rambling. Prepare your thinking lobes for an little endeavor into war philosophy and human nature....and maybe re-read the Testament of Candor to get in the mood for the rest of this arc. Yeehaw</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Sage of Six Packs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jigen is mentioned by name, even though I'm pretty sure we all know that's who the mystery dude from Ch.1 section 1 and onward has been. Kabuto is also on the come-up. Then we meet Santa Claus himself, because of COURSE he is still important in the story. !!!WARNING!!!: There is a short Omake at the end of this. It is horror themed, reader insert(second person POV), and pretty graphic/gory. It's just a creative exercise, and not canonically relevant to the story.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b><em>"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve, and bad things are very easy to get." </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>- Confucius</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 18: The Sage of Six Packs</b> </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Though the others were resolute in their attribution of guilt and blame to the entity known as Black Zetsu, Tsunade would never forgive herself for ignoring the alarms raised by her subconscious that previous Monday evening. Her body had known - had <em> shouted </em> at her, practically - that something was wrong with whom they believed to be Aratashiki that had joined them in the Sensor Division headquarters. She had known, even, that the very same type of impostors as Black Zetsu was working as that day were running rampant out among their ranks. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yet she’d ignored her instincts, and Naruto had nearly paid the ultimate price for it. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The hero of their village, student of her lifetime companion Jiraiya, son of the Fourth Hokage, and the young man to whom she owed her <em> life </em> - who had saved her from herself, from an early death via alcoholic stupor - and thought of as the closest thing to a child she would ever have. This person could have been dead because of her; the irony of Tsunade saving his life all those years ago only to inevitably end up precipitating his untimely demise was a cruel one. Not for the first time, the curse of that damned necklace would have rung true. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Except, she reminded herself, that he’d survived. He was alive and still fighting.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It had been Sakura who had saved him after Black Zetsu tricked Naruto, literally and figuratively tearing the nine-tails out of him. Her only student, a woman who came from ordinary circumstances and who’d lived in the shadow of her teammates, had finally surpassed those expectations - or lack thereof - to become extraordinary. Of all the mistakes Tsunade made during her life, taking on Sakura Haruno as a student was one thing she could be certain to have done right. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She’d watched, having arrived at the battlefield alongside the Raikage to join the other Kage in the fight, as the pink-haired kunoichi took out droves of the monstrosities pouring forth from the restrained Juubi. Tsunade and Sakura now fought side-by-side, taking turns infusing chakra into their summon, Katsuyu, so that she could continue to heal the wounded without exhausting too much of their chakra at once. In a brief moment of reprieve as another wave of enemies were secreted from the Juubi’s flesh, Tsunade placed a hand on her student’s shoulder while they stood catching their breath. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m proud of you, Sakura,” she said. “You are far stronger than I ever could have been.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Real-World Context: Japanese Mythology</strong>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><em> “ </em> <b> <em>Izanagi and Izanami</em> </b> <em> , (Japanese: “He Who Invites” and “She Who Invites”) in full </em> <b> <em>Izanagi no Mikoto</em> </b> <em> and </em> <b> <em>Izanami no Mikoto</em> </b> <em> , the central deities (kami) in the Japanese creation myth. They were the eighth pair of brother-and-sister gods to appear after heaven and earth separated out of chaos. By standing on the floating </em> <em> bridge </em> <em> of heaven and stirring the primeval ocean with a heavenly jeweled spear - Amenonuhoko - they created the first landmass. </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> The two decided that they wished to unite - often interpreted as marriage - but their first attempt at sexual union resulted in a deformed child, Ebisu, and they set him adrift in a boat. Attributing the mistake to a ritual error on the part of Izanami, who, as a woman, should never have spoken first, they began again and produced numerous islands and deities. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><em> In the act of giving birth to the fire god, Kagutsuchi (or Homusubi), Izanami was fatally burned and went to Yomi, the land of darkness. The grief-stricken Izanagi followed her there, but she had eaten the food of that place and could not leave. She became angry when he lit a fire and saw her rotting and covered with maggots. A horrified Izanagi fled, with a host of women and then Izanami herself in pursuit. After reaching the entrance to Yomi, Izanagi placed a stone across it, thus sealing in Izanami and breaking their union.” </em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Izanagi">[source]</a></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A few kilometres away from where the Juubi and the Allied Forces fought, two young men - both allied shinobi themselves - sat huddled beneath the safety of a tall cliff. They watched the sky, stars twinkling as the moon’s watchful eye ascended over the landscape, listening to the chirping song of crickets and the faint wailing of the ten-tails off in the distance. One of them, a leaf shinobi named Urushi, gently wrapped the other’s arm in a cloth bandage, dressing a wound from their earlier battle against the revived Third Raikage and Second Mizukage. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I wish they would wrap up this war so we could finally get a good night’s sleep,” Urushi said in a tired voice. “They never tell us rear-guard shinobi what’s going on, we’re kept almost completely in the dark on everything.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That’s true,” said the other man with a sigh. “So...what are you going to do when this war is over?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well, I’ll start by going home.” Urushi paused, thinking for a moment. “You know, if the five nations remain friendly after this war, then maybe my little brother who’s been on a mission forever can finally come back home.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The other man leaned back against the stone, smiling sadly. “Man, I envy those who have a home to return to.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You could always come home with me. After all, it’s just an orphanage, and if my brother is there he can take a look at your wounds,” Urushi offered.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Wow, Urushi...thank you,” he replied, touched by his new companion’s acceptance. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Urushi grinned at him, hoping that his sibling Kabuto really would come home this time. He thought back to the fond memories he held of his younger sibling - back when times seemed simpler thanks to childhood naivety. The third war was over, the village recovering from the Kyuubi’s attack; to a kid unaware of the political turmoil within Konoha, it was a peaceful time. They had been happy. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Jolted out of his reminiscing by a loud gasp coming from his companion, Urushi followed the man’s outstretched arm to the object of his bemusement. Urushi’s gaze locked onto the moon, glowing unnaturally bright and red as it illuminated the night sky. Their eyes glazed over, bodies frozen and still; in his mind, Urushi had only blinked once before waking up and finding himself back in his old room inside of the orphanage. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A young boy with scruffy white hair and glasses lay sleeping on an extra futon that had been brought into the room. He watched his adoptive mother, Nono, remove the helmet Urushi had placed on the young boy’s head the previous day after they had found him wounded and concussed, sitting under a tree outside of a deserted village.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You know, it’s pretty weird that he doesn’t have a name,” Urushi thought out loud. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hmm,” Nono replied, pondering his statement. “What if we called him ‘Kabuto’?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh, because of the helmet? Sure. I like that,” Urushi responded. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Nono smiled, pulling the young boy into a warm hug. She kissed him on the top of his head, reaching out with the arm not wrapped around Urushi to lay her hand on top of little Kabuto’s. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“My two sweet boys,” she whispered. Tears brimmed in her eyes, a few escaping the clutches of her lower lash line to glide gently down the skin of her cheek, and Urushi wondered why Nono was sad. “Welcome to the family, Kabuto Yakushi.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Of the three dimensions Aratashiki had created thus far, Parity was her favorite. It is a near-colorless vacuum of tessellating spheres, the music of which is inaudible to the ears but heard still by the soul, causing an agreeable but indescribable feeling. She had manifested the space during her year spent searching for Kaguya, a peaceful and safe retreat within which she could meditate. Coincidentally - or perhaps by some greater design - Parity also ended up being the <em> perfect </em> place to host this council of sorts, the idea of which she had come up with only recently. As in, during the past hour or so. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What makes it such an ideal venue is the fact that causal beings cannot manipulate chakra inside of the dimension, because upon entering Parity the chakra no longer belongs to them - it belongs to the primordial awareness that transcends their own. They are reduced to their most basic forms as part of the greater consciousness, rather than individual carriers of it. At least, that was the only way and the most simple way Ara could describe the phenomenon. Parity was born of some unconscious will and desire; it was not necessarily hand-made by her. Not intentionally. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The Shinobi world waited in a state of suspended animation - dreaming peacefully within a genjutsu - while Ara set about using her only non-invasive ‘hail Mary’ to try and settle the conflict without further destruction, or Kaguya’s escape. Freezing time completely would’ve cost more chakra than she was comfortable expending, lest things go completely sideways and leave her too weak to help. Oddly enough, doing such a thing would require more chakra from her than casting the wide-scale genjutsu, because she was able to leave behind a clone and amplify the projection using the moon. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Worth noting and very important to understand is the fact that her genjutsu was <em> not </em> the same as the Mugen Tsukuyomi - the Infinite Tsukuyomi - despite the similarities. Additionally, it was not the same as the Tsukuyomi used by Itachi Uchiha. Ara’s did not have as great a toll on her chakra, nor did it render the victims injured or comatose. Aratashiki also did not control what the victims experienced while under the genjutsu’s effects. She had actually come up with the idea after learning about the Mugen Tsukuyomi, as a sort of benign alternative. The genjutsu did not require a God Tree, and she did not feed off of the victims’ chakra. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The Tanoshuyume, or ‘Pleasant Dream’, as she’d decided to call it, merely placed an individual into a state of hibernation. While under the genjutsu, they would dream about whatever it was they desired most; agreeable dreams, ideally. Upon waking they would soon forget whatever content the dream had consisted of, as with any other normal dream. However, Aratashiki had only used it once - so that she could sneak into one of her brothers’ rooms to steal a book. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>If any negative side effects had resulted from its use, she without a doubt would have heard about it from <em> him </em> . Maybe not what one would consider ‘thorough’ or ‘rigorous’ testing, but in this particular case it was worth the risk. Besides, the only <em> real </em> side effect had been her other brother witnessing the deception, ultimately leading to her imprisonment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She would have to pay him back for that.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Therefore, Aratashiki now sat rubbing her temples in frustration as the men floating around bickered, attempting in vain to attack one another within the airless space. She had tried explaining that their physical bodies weren’t really here, and were suspended along with the rest of the population, but naturally they opted to discover this for themselves rather than listen to her.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At some point during their nonsense, an...<em> unexpected </em> ally reached out to her. Which was startling, because no one - and certainly no non-Otsutsuki, non-paracausal being - should have ever been able to breach Parity in order to communicate with her. Especially since as far as Ara knew, there weren’t any Otsutsuki other than Kaguya and Toneri who were even remotely near-by the planet Earth, and no paracausal entities other than her father and herself. Nevertheless, the identity of said individual compelled her to briefly abandon her babysitting duties in favor of a very enlightening conversation; as well as a bit of benevolent scheming. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They had filled in several of the gaps in her knowledge - far beyond what she’d hoped or dreamed of ever knowing based off of humanity’s poor record keeping. She now knew exactly what she needed to in order to discern the most logical course of action. Things were starting to fall into place, at last.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The morality surrounding interventions of such a large scale as hers <em> could </em>be was a fine line to tread. On the one hand, she wanted to end everything as soon as possible. However, something within her refused to dismiss the significance of and necessary wisdom gained from allowing humanity to overcome this war in their own way. If she swooped in and fixed everything, she wasn’t really solving any problems or benefiting them long-term; it would merely set a precedent of complacency and create an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship between herself and the species she’d come to care about so much. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tempting as it was, in the end Aratashiki did not have the selfishness nor the confidence required to start playing God in regards to human affairs. Just as she had felt during her time in Kumo, she did not want to <em> lead </em> anyone; the primary goal was to help them grow and prosper. To bump the shinobi world off of the course - the relentless pursuit of power -  that would either lead to the same parasitic-type of civilization the Otsutsuki had become. Which would end up with the aforementioned clan crushing humanity like ants while they fought among themselves. Rather, she intended to help cultivate - to the best of her ability - the necessary qualities that would propel them towards a better future. After all, micromanagement only ever leads to mistrust, resentment, and ultimately conflict. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Undoubtedly, there would be people who did not understand these things. With such power, how could someone be so selfish as to allow any amount of suffering, no matter how small, to persist? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was easy to believe that you would save everyone and fix everything when you hadn’t the power to do so. People rarely thought about <em> why </em> things are, only that they are. The reality is that good and evil cannot be eradicated; but the degree to which either persists can be diminished. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thus, Ara kept many of those kinds of powers hidden for now, and possibly would forever. Furthermore, she was simply unaware of a great deal of said abilities at the present point in time. Which perhaps was for the best. What value is joy if sorrow does not exist? It is death that drives life. Without the threat of death things would not be what they were; such fears beget purpose. Even her own people, as sadistic as their practices have been, were driven by survival. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was for these exact same reasons that Aratashiki’s mother, Nozomu, was driven to insanity; and even if she wasn’t yet aware herself, are the reasons that immortality made Aratashiki susceptible to the very same fate.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Subconsciously, this truth was the driving force behind many of Ara’s values. A truth Nozomu herself was not able to cope with; a will she carried but could not find the courage to enact; one she hoped her daughter would be able to, instead. To find her purpose: using the truth, her abilities, and their will to encourage goodness and abundance of life, to counteract that which Junichiro had wrought upon so many. The truth is everything. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Upon her return to Parity the men were <em> still </em> at it, and apparently hadn’t even noticed her absence. So, after wasting entirely too much time, Ara forced them all to ‘sit’ in a circle, confiscating their movement privileges. Thankfully, the ‘music’ began to take effect, and gradually the lot of hooligans settled down. She allowed them to sit in uninterrupted silence, curious as to who would be the first to acknowledge the current situation, and affording them the freedom to do so of their own accord. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke was the one who took the bait of silence, turning to Orochimaru and pointing a finger at him in accusation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Why did you even rope me into this shit?” he asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Because <em> Pain </em> roped <em> me </em> into this,” Orochimaru responded, appearing greatly offended. “And don’t forget that you came to me willingly. Sort of.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“But wait, didn’t Toni - Obotobi - whatever his name is, rope Nagato into this?” Naruto asked, as if Obito wasn’t sitting a few metres away.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well him over there, he roped <em> me </em> into this!” Obito exclaimed defensively, pointing at Madara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What about Zetsu? He roped <em> me </em> into this!” Madara retorted, conveniently leaving out the belief that zetsu was <em> his </em> will, and causing Hashirama to laugh. “Shut the hell up, Hashirama!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I didn’t even say anything,” Hashirama said, immediately beginning to sulk.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara clapped her hands together to garner their attention, like they were a bunch of children. Grown up, physically mature children. “If I may, I’d like to point out that Kaguya is the one who ‘roped’ Zetsu into this.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “Who the fuck is Kaguya?” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito and Madara were the only ones who didn’t question her statement, which didn’t come as a surprise. Sighing, Ara mentally prepared to launch into her explanation of the current events, knowing full-well that they would likely challenge her at every turn. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“First of all, I should properly introduce myself-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hold on, why am I even a part of this?” Orochimaru asked, interrupting. He glared upwards, as if chastising some omniscient narrator for subjecting him to the scene for the sole purpose of comedic allusion.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Because you are partially responsible for what has happened, no? And, you might have information that is useful to me.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hmph. Doubtful. But fine, whatever you say. Carry on.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Very fitting that he had a snake-like appearance, Ara thought. Of all the people in the room, he was the most likely to try and stab them in the back; she could feel it in her gut, the need for exercising caution around that guy. She waited for a moment in case of any further interruptions, and when there were none Ara resumed her introduction. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“As I was saying, my name is Aratashiki Otsutsuki. I am not from your planet, and I am <em> here </em> because a cousin of mine - named Kaguya - has been manipulating all of you, and is responsible for a great deal of suffering throughout human history,” she said, leaving out her personal grudge against Kaguya in the favor of professionalism. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“But the Kaguya clan died out years ago,” Hashirama said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Fortunately, it seemed that Aratashiki’s appearance and abilities were plenty enough evidence for them to accept that she wasn’t human. Being a <em> woman </em> as well as an alien, she had expected at least a bit of objection. Or curiosity. Alas, of all the elephants in the room she was undoubtedly the smallest. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m not talking about the Kaguya clan, I’m talking about their ancestor and namesake,” Ara said. “Well, technically she is <em> all </em>of you guys' ancestor. Except for Orochimaru, probably.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Your guess is as good as mine, dear,” Orochimaru agreed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m sure that most of you have heard stories or legends about the Sage of Six Paths,” she continued. “Obito, Madara, I know that you know that I know that you know about Kaguya; or at least are aware of her existence.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The two men in question scoffed at her for exposing them. Not that it was even a big deal.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You aren’t wrong, but how the hell would <em> you </em>have gotten your eyes on the Uchiha clan’s ancestral stone tablet that can only be read in full by the Rinnegan, or in part by the Mangekyou sharingan, inside of the sacred Naka Shrine?” Madara asked, making the artifact sound a lot more mysterious than necessary.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, do you ever listen? She just told us that this Kaguya person is her cousin!” Hashirama exclaimed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It’s a moot point to bring up the rinnegan. I mean, really, how the fuck do you think we got here? Did you actually think she used the byakugan to cast that genjutsu and manipulate space-time?” The youngest Uchiha waved his hands, gesturing at the rinnegan-sharingan that were clearly visible on each of Aratashiki’s palms. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke was disappointed in his great-great-great...Uncle? <em> Grandfather? </em> Who knew. For someone with such immense visual prowess, Madara was proving to be pretty oblivious. Obito snorted with laughter at the exchange, earning himself a murderous glare from the elder Uchiha, whose face was red with embarrassment and indignation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I have no idea what stone tablet you are talking about,” Ara said. “But that isn’t important. What is important, however, is that the Sage of Six Paths is her son. One of two, in fact. And Black Zetsu-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“<em> My </em> will,” Madara huffed, “has nothing to do with this.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Dude, can you just let her talk? Some of us are actually interested in what she is saying,” Sasuke said, his irritation clear. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah! Quit interrupting Ara-chan, you goth bastard,” Naruto added. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the hell is a ‘goth’? And Izuna - I mean, Sasuke - how <em> dare </em> you speak to your elder in such a way! I’m the Uchiha clan head, you brat-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fuck off. You’re history, old man,” Sasuke responded. The uncaring look on Sasuke’s face only served to fan the flames of Madara’s fury; it was as if Izuna had briefly returned from the grave in order to piss him off. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara and Orochimaru watched with bored and tired expressions as the three fighting idiots struggled against their inability to move around fully, while Obito and Hashirama giggled like little girls. By comparison to this group, Ara’s siblings were almost starting to seem mature - and that was <em> not </em> a good thing. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If you don’t pipe the fuck down, I’m going to scrap this whole thing and kick your asses instead. Madara, if you want any chance at living again - which I <em> know </em> you do, don’t kid yourself - I suggest you heed my warning with extra care and consideration,” Ara said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She looked at each of them with a calm, faux-innocent expression, patiently waiting for everyone to obey. To her relief they actually did, clamping their mouths shut and staring at the ground as if it would absolve them of their shame.  Choosing to stay in her transformed state - for the time being - was turning out to be a wise decision. If not for that, Ara would’ve had little hope for intimidation.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Wonderful. As I was saying, Black Zetsu is, in fact, <em> not your will </em>, Madara. You see, a zetsu is specifically a manifestation of an Otsutsuki’s will. I hate to be the wet blanket here, Uchiha-hime, but even with the rinnegan you simply are not capable of creating one. You can imbue your will into black receivers, sure, but as for creating a sentient zetsu out of it...well, frankly that just isn’t in the cards, buddy.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Impossible. Zetsu is clearly my will,” Madara said, indignant. “It agrees with me all of the time!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay, so tell me, when did you create it, what was your method? Do you even remember doing so? Because it’s not a leisurely process-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Pfft. Semantics. I don’t bother myself with technicalities like that.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh my god, you’re such a sore loser!” Hashirama groaned. “Even when it's just a petty argument.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I am not a sore loser, I just prefer to win, and when I don’t I get furious!” Madara yelled back at him, absolutely livid at the perceived disrespect from the others. “Not that I’ve even lost anything yet - this war isn’t over!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m not drunk enough to deal with this,” Orochimaru grumbled, flipping his hair dramatically. “Listening to Karin scream nonsense and fawn over Sasuke is less harrowing.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This was not going as well as Ara wanted it to. Perhaps it had been foolish to think that she could convince them of anything by herself, seeing as they didn’t know her at all. Other than Naruto. It was worth a shot, but alas, the time had come for plan B. If not for her earlier contact....well, this would have been a completely lost cause. Ara desperately hoped that they would more readily listen to her recent acquaintance. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Orochimaru,” Ara said, turning to face the snake-man. “If you want, I’ll just let you leave now.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh thank goodness. I thought you would never ask,” he replied. “I’m not going to try anything funny, don’t worry. Whatever it is that you all...do, come up with, I don’t know - I really don’t care. I’m only interested in spectating my Sasuke’s development.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shut up Orochimaru, you goddamn creep! Sasuke doesn’t belong to you!” Naruto yelled, his face turning beet-red with anger. </p><p> </p><p>“Tch. I belong to the streets.” Sasuke just rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing ever, not wanting to comment any further. Even though none of them knew what ‘the streets’ meant, or why he belonged to them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito raised his hand and pouted at Ara, as if he was a student in class and she was the terrifying math teacher who wore frumpy skirts and cat-eye glasses, and yelled at all the boys. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes, Obito?” She asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah, well I was just wondering if, if maybe, perhaps I could,” he stammered, speaking like a child all of a sudden. “I mean I am on your side you know, since I repented and all, so-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sure, you can leave too,” Ara said. “But, Obito, I need you to swear-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“FUCK!” Obito screamed, startling everyone into a moment of silence. Not including Ara, who instantly began to laugh hysterically in response to the sudden outburst, and Madara’s pearl-clutching expression of surprise.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito Uchiha was quite possibly the biggest buffoon she’d met thus far. Ara still didn’t exactly trust him, but even without violating his conscious thought processes she could sense the genuine change in his demeanor and intentions. Apparently, the battle with his childhood friend Kakashi truly did have a significant impact on him. As hard to believe as it might sound, his energy felt completely different to that of the bitter, malevolent impostor she’d encountered on the beach front. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I meant, like, a promise,” she eventually wheezed out.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh,” Obito giggled nervously. “My bad.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Anyways,” Ara said, fanning her face. “I know what you’ve <em> said </em> and all, but seriously - don’t waste your time trying to be slick. If you haven’t already guessed, I could end your entire race at any time. Not that I would ever do something like that, unlike some people in this room, but you know, it's just an example of why you shouldn’t try me, that’s all. Seriously I would never do something like that. I like you guys, maybe too much. Especially a few in particular. Like, not in a weird way. Maybe. Um, you know what, never mind. ”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Smiling awkwardly, she glanced around the room. Thankfully, no-one seemed too alarmed. Rather, they were busy trying to make sense of the string of nonsense she’d spat out at them. Which may or may not have been a good thing. It was only natural that her curse of gibberish would resurface again at some point.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Without wasting any more time - her chakra wasn’t technically limitless, after all - Ara relieved Orochimaru and Obito from their attending duties so that they could, well, basically sit frozen in time along with everyone else. She was grateful that they’d wanted to leave, because that prevented her from having to tell them herself that they weren’t needed anymore, and that she didn’t trust them not to be divisive. Besides, her next attempt at peaceful resolution only pertained to the remaining four men; Madara, Hashirama, Sasuke, and Naruto. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Crossing her fingers for luck - as Tenten always did - Ara took a moment to dispel her mounting anxieties and called upon the person who had, by some miracle, come to her earlier offering to assist and intervene: </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hagoromo Otsutsuki. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Two men stood atop a ridge overlooking the battlefield, black cloaks billowing in the wind. A thick blanket of silence had fallen over the land when the Tanoshuyume was cast; the entire Allied Shinobi forces standing stock-still as they stared sightlessly at the moon, lost in the throes of the dream world. Even the ten-tails had fallen asleep, like a huge, grotesque puppy. The older of the two men - though only by a year - fidgeted with his sunglasses, struggling to fit them comfortably over the mask covering the top half of his face. He huffed in annoyance as another strand of his white hair was whipped across his spectacles by the breeze, obscuring his vision. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Jigen, are you certain these ridiculous glasses are necessary?” the man asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes. Genjutsu of this level has no effect on us - these shades are Gucci.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No one knows what ‘Gucci’ means. I’ve even gone so far as to ask Amado, but he just avoids the topic.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It isn’t important. Don’t concern yourself with such trivial matters.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The masked man grunted, giving up. Extracting information from their leader was like pulling teeth, except he never got anything out of it. Not even the damn teeth. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“So, why is it exactly that we don’t just capture their Juubi right now, while everyone is asleep?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“This Juubi is inferior to what I will create. Besides, it is necessary that we don’t get involved with this battle. I’ve done my part in orchestrating this war already. And otherwise, I will have to deal with Kaguya myself; the plan would be in jeopardy.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Gritting his teeth, he tried to hold back the urge to lash out at Jigen. All of the cryptic messages and speaking in riddles or half-truths was wearing on his nerves. Spying on a hidden society was exceedingly difficult when its leader wouldn’t reveal things to even the innermost members. He would just have to continue being patient, and pray that he didn’t lose his mind completely while waiting.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Come, Koji,” Jigen said as he turned and began to walk away. “Let’s leave before they wake up.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a final glance backwards at the listless expressions of the sleeping shinobi - some of whom he’d known in his earlier life - Kashin Koji adjusted his preposterous shades once more and followed their leader back in the direction of Kumogakure. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>In a rare happenstance Naruto, Sasuke, Madara, and Hashirama had remained quiet for almost thirty seconds by now, uninterrupted. They stared in a strange mixture of confusion and curiosity at what was probably the most ancient, wrinkly old man any of them ever had or would lay eyes upon. He looked to be of the same species as Aratashiki - who had finally shifted back into her natural appearance - and even had two similarly small horns as her own protruding from his temples. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hmm. Forsooth. I hadst already foreseen that thou would end up in such a state as well-nigh thou presently are,” the old man said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hey, Ara-chan, what kind of language is your gramps speaking?” Naruto asked, pursing his lips and squinting at the newcomer. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hagoromo bristled with irritation at Naruto’s use of the rude nickname, almost as if his own son had said such a thing. Ara sensed his disquietude and swooped in to correct Naruto. “This isn’t my grandfather. Technically, he’s sort of like….my nephew.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Saying that out loud made it feel even weirder; time dilation was one hell of a headache. Furthermore, it occurred to her for the first time that she didn’t even <em> have </em> grandparents. Not in the way everyone else did, at least.  An old memory of the one time she had met - as in spied on during someone else’s meeting - Kaguya’s parents resurfaced, effectively distracting her from everything else while she imagined Kaguya bringing her human lover and half-breed children back to Ordinance. Oh, the scandal - Junichiro would have a fit. Hagoromo himself had even taken some convincing when Ara explained that his mother was an alien, and that he was part-alien by extension. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Those eyes,” Madara said. “Those are the rinnegan.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, now that it's a <em> man </em> talking to us you are suddenly perceptive again,” Hashirama scoffed. “Toxic masculinity is a plague.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That sounds like some bullshit term that Mito came up with, Hashirama.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Already tired of their juvenile banter, Hagoromo spoke over the two men before they could continue. “Thou has’t not died as of yet, but if't be true thee don’t hush’t I wilt trap thee within thine own inner mind. I wilt tear off thy balls and useth those to mollywop thee into servitude. Thee wilt obey, lest thou desires to perish while choked on thine own inferior manhood.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A lot simpler, please,” Naruto interrupted. “We’ve been fighting for days you know, which is kinda tiring, so can’t you just speak in easy, normal words?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“O Naruto Naruto wherefore art thou Naruto?” Sasuke sighed. </p><p> </p><p>[translation: why are you like this?]</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Forgive me, I am an anachronism,” Hagoromi began. “Aight, how’s this? Ion no if you ballers be spittin bars still, but I pulled up in here to dish out straight fire. Yee bois we boutta get hyped up on some real shit, we mobbin’ deep. Worm.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ara tried not to laugh at whatever the fuck that geezer had just tried to communicate, while the others recoiled in horror.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“He sounds like Suigetsu,” Sasuke whispered, horrified. “I can never escape…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Um, I think that’s a little bit over the top. Maybe just talk like we all do,” Ara suggested.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay, I suppose I can give that a try. In any event I must hurry. Time is running short for me, so I will tell you the story of my bitch mother, my two sons, and of myself. It all started when my mother grew corrupt from her immense power, enslaving the planet with the Infinite Tsukuyomi to steal back-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m not taking your route in this visual novel,” Madara said. “Stop sharing your tragic backstory.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara! Be more respectful - he is the Sage of Six Paths!” Hashirama yelled, scolding his rival. Shaking his head in disgust, he added in a whisper to himself: “I <em> knew </em> he was lying about having no interest in shoujo manga.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The relic himself huffed in indignation. “Madara Uchiha, you truly are the transmigration of my son Indra. I’ve already suffered one lifetime having to deal with your shit and I won’t tolerate it again, so it's best for everyone if you sit back and remain quiet instead of continuing to prove that you are a failure and a disappointment. Such behavior will get you nowhere.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Having been thoroughly roasted by his hybrid-alien soul-daddy, Madara shut up and conceded to at least pretend like he was listening.  The Sage of Six Paths then launched into the epic tale, enlightening the four reincarnations of his sons and giving them each a new perspective on not just the current conflict, but their entire lives and core-values. They were each forced to confront their individual biases and truths; to face reality-as-is rather than reality-as-imagined. By the end of the tale, Madara Uchiha was even beginning to doubt the very things he had spent the greater portion of the previous century in pursuit of. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>For the first time since faking his death during the fated battle between himself and Hashirama at the Valley of the End, Madara was unsure if he had been right about anything at all - and it filled him with rage. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Omake - Tsukuyomi</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Cold. It is the first sensation you notice when you open your eyes. You are cold. Sitting up, you look around, and realize it is nighttime. The night is dark, too dark, just like the ground beneath you. Something isn’t right here, something feels off, something feels <em> wrong </em>.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>GO BACK. CLOSE YOUR EYES.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Rising to your feet, you attempt to reorient yourself by finding the horizon. As your eyes drift closer to the line marking the end of the landscape and the beginning of the vast expanse of nothingness looming overhead, an intense feeling of dread blooms in your stomach. It seeps into your bloodstream and permeates every cell in your body, from your bone marrow to your tear ducts that have begun leaking with liquid apprehension. After struggling for a moment that seemingly stretched into an eternity your eyes drift upwards, and the primal fear gripping your soul yells louder and louder until your ears are ringing so intensely that they begin to bleed. But you don't notice. You are unable to look away from it. It shines- or rather, reflects- down on you with its omnipotent gaze. Red, crimson like the blood trickling down the sides of your neck. It calls to you, reaching out silently to violate your free will, trapping you within the confines of its consciousness. It is your body but you are not moving it yourself. Taking a shaky step forwards, you depart in the direction of the lunar siren song, moving despite every fiber of your being begging for you not to. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE.</em> </b> </p><p> </p><p>A long road stretches before you; the pavement feels strange under your bare feet. It is slippery, wet. Something is poking out of it. <em> Squelch. </em>You are forced to look down. Vomit rises up from the back of your throat but your muscles are frozen and it spills out of your mouth, onto your front, onto the ground where it mixes with the people. Bodies. This isn’t a road, it is a grave. You start to move again, eyes chained to the horrors beneath you. The bloated bodies give way under your feet. Some of them pop, the flesh tearing open from the added pressure of your gait, noxious gas leaking from the openings and assaulting your airways with the stench of death and decay. Of suffering. The valley of meat and bones stretches forever. Every single one of them are skewered through the chest, held in place with wooden stakes. Corpses, unending, most of which are mutilated beyond recognition, their humanity gone. Most. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>DON’T LOOK. CLOSE YOUR EYES.</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Nothing stops you as your foot comes down onto the face of someone you know. Someone you love. You can feel the mucous membranes coating their open, unseeing eyes on the bottom of your foot as your toe slides over the organ, briefly slipping underneath an eyelid and into the socket. You struggle desperately to pull your foot away. Silent sobs rip through your chest and you try to scream but your jaw slams shut instead. They don’t stop coming as you journey on, the faces. People you know, people you care for. There is no escape. You wonder if this is hell, but you know it isn’t. It is too real to be hell. Hell is a nightmare compared to this place, this place hidden under the gravel within the river of time. Existential terror consumes the last frayed strands of your sanity as your eyes are pulled upwards toward the swirling abyss peering back at you. The moon will take care of you. It is everything. It is infinite. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>WAKE UP. </em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>WAKE UP.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>WAKE UP.</em> </b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>APOLOGY/RETCON: I said angst earlier, but it has come to my attention that everyone else uses angst to mean "fucking horrific and everyone is violently assaulted/maimed/tortured/murdered" haha...ha. [are ya'll okay???] SO I guess there is some angst-lite? angst-lite-ultra? idk its just people having complex thoughts and emotions, really. There will be something much closer to *actual angst* after the war - with some added hurt/comfort - when certain people actually address their trauma(sorry Sasuke, it's for your own sake). </p><p>**Moving on from that, I'm having a fun time(as you read) exploring the morality of Aratashiki altering the timeline and stuff, as well as some fic-canon justification as to why she won't just fix everything by herself. The literal, narrative reason for her not doing that is because it would be super boring to read, and also character development; but translating this into a legitimate in-universe logical explanation is an entertaining challenge. Sorry if you hate the philosophical drivel but that's kinda my thing, and I guess you don't technically have to read it if you don't care about justifications.**</p><p>Yes, the fic has an over-all positive/humorous tone, but that in NO way means I'm going to ignore the heavy shit. In my mind, comedy is one of the mediums through which we can analyze and cope with those tougher subjects in life. So while I have no plans for tragic endings and won't kill off anyone that we like, there could still be some turbulent water along the way. Especially with a few romantic relationships in particular *winks* peep the slow burn tag. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Eisegesis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Eisegesis is best understood when contrasted with exegesis. Exegesis is drawing out text's meaning in accordance with the author's context and discoverable meaning. Eisegesis is when a reader imposes their interpretation of the text. Thus exegesis tends to be objective; and eisegesis, highly subjective."</p><p>This is 1 of 2 titular chapters that will be written in this discussion format, the latter of which will be published at a later date(within the next 3 chapters)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OK, this chapter is unique from all of the others that I have written so far. It uses the socratic method/elenctic method which is "a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions." SO, this is essentially a philosophical discussion - a group talk-no-jutsu, if you will - where the characters break down some of their motivations. I tried to keep it as readable as possible, despite nerding out a bit. I also could have gone SO much deeper into the character psychology, and perhaps I will at some point, but lucky for you all I've kept it around 5000 words! lol. I hope you find it as interesting as I do, and that it gives you some food for thought.</p><p>If you don't, though, it's back to the status quo in the next chapter so don't worry!! It'll be up a few hours after this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>  </em> </b>
</p><p><b><em>Uchiha Madara - Ghost of the Uchiha</em>, </b>digital portrait by me. </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 19: Eisegesis</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p><em> The men sat in Parity such that Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Aratashiki Otsutsuki were positioned at opposite ends of the group, with the reincarnations of Hagoromo’s son Indra, who were Madara and Sasuke Uchiha, and the reincarnations of Hagoromo’s other son Ashura, who were Hashirama Senju and Naruto Uzumaki, sitting face-to-face with their respective generational pairings. When Hagoromo had finished recounting his own portion of history and the transmigrated struggle between Indra and Ashura throughout time, he opened up the conversation to group discussion. </em> </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>
  <b>-ooo-</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>SPEAKERS</b>
</p><p>Hagoromo Otsutsuki</p><p>Madara  Uchiha<b> ||</b> Hashirama Senju</p><p>Sasuke  Uchiha <b>||</b> Naruto Uzumaki</p><p>Aratashiki Otsutsuki</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><b>THUS I HAVE HEARD</b>, began Madara, that according to you, Sage of Six Paths, a great deal of our values are not only flawed, but are predetermined to be as such due to a battle of wits between your two dead sons?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It is true that in trusting one son over the other I failed as a father, Hagoromo replied, and in doing so unwittingly allowed the world to persist in the belief of pursuing power for peace. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And what would you have had them believe instead? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Well, that both power and love are necessary for peace, for one.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yet when a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred. Therefore love is not a necessity, and power is the only true necessity. </p><p> </p><p>If you define yourself by your power to take life, your desire to dominate, to possess, then you have nothing*, said Naruto, inserting himself into the discussion. Whether you do it in the name of love, or hate, or whatever else, at the end of the day you are nothing more than an abuser and an oppressor, exploiting others for your own gain and perpetuating the human suffering you so boldly claim to be set on eradicating. </p><p> </p><p>What of love, then? Look at your predecessors. Look at yourselves. Your strategy of ‘love’, your ‘Will of Fire’, has resulted in failure after failure ever since the village’s inception. All of the work that I and Hashirama did was for nothing, Madara said. </p><p> </p><p>Hashirama, who had been intensely focused on his own self-reflection and naivety, offered a rebuttal. The only real failure, he said, is abandoning your principles. Killing what you love because you can’t bear to part from it is selfish and stupid.*</p><p> </p><p>So as the Clan head of my people, I am supposed to love blindly and accept defeat?</p><p> </p><p>If your reputation can’t absorb a few blows, it wasn’t worth anything in the first place.* Hashirama gazed into Madara’s eyes, resolute in his statements and hoping against all hope that his dear friend would accept the error of his ways. </p><p> </p><p>In failure or adversity, it’s so easy to hate, said Naruto. Hate defers blame. It makes someone else responsible. It’s a distraction too; we don’t do much else when we’re busy getting revenge or investigating the wrongs that have supposedly been done to us. We waste time tearing things down instead of using our strengths to build them anew. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara was quiet, deep in thought. It was evident that he was angry, but not necessarily at the others. Rather, at himself and the circumstances that led him to this predicament in the first place. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I have this weird self esteem issue, said Sasuke, where I hate myself but at the same time think that I am better than everyone else. This is a genetic curse, a flaw in the Uchiha gene that Madara suffers from as well. However, it has become clear to me that I don’t even understand even one of these philosophical problems being presented. All I do know is that in failure or adversity, it is so easy to hate. Hate defers blame. It makes someone else responsible.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>You are just parroting what I said, no more than sixty seconds ago.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yeah, well, mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Okay, and when did you realize all of this, asked Naruto, because it contradicts the insanity of the majority of your actions. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Look, Naruto. I thought I was losing it back then…but then I thought, I've got nothing to lose.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I’m not sure what you mean by that, Sasuke. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Me neither, but I am sure that I said it, and that it might make sense someday. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara frowned, still unwilling to accept a different point of view from his own. In an effort to dissuade the others from further disagreement and opposition to his values, Madara decided to tell them, from his perspective, how and why he came to be the way that he is; starting from his early childhood, to the death of his brother, to his later defection from the village, Madara presented a sympathetic view of himself, but without realizing that in doing so he’d only further proved the arguments brought against him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So yes, that’s my life story, Madara concluded. Would anyone else like to share? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>My mother killed herself and my father, a genocidal maniac, trapped me in purgatory for most of my teen years, Aratashiki responded in a quiet voice. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That’s rough, buddy. And having gone through that, what is your opinion on this whole subject?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Well, she said, it is my belief that neither love nor power will lead to peace. Love alone cannot bring peace because true evil will always exist and will persist no matter how much love you pour into its source, and power alone cannot bring peace because power without compassion will always lead to corruption and suffering through subjugation. Peace will not be achieved through power or love, but through compassion and an understanding of the interdependence and mutual welfare of all beings. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And what has led you to this conclusion, that compassion is the answer?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It is my understanding of the highest truth. That every intention has an antithesis and opposition of equal passion; that the universe is fueled by the cycles of death and rebirth. Cause and Effect. You came close to grasping this reality of dualism; but unfortunately your own whims seem to have steered you away from full comprehension. Only understanding of this highest truth will reveal the pathway towards absolute compassion. Chasing the impossible, the elimination of either love or hatred or good or evil, will always result in failure. This is why, in my opinion, it is imperative that you all learn to accept duality, and thus grant yourselves the ability to incite meaningful, positive change within your society. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When I think of the meaning of dualism, I imagine opposites. Light and dark, winners and losers. They cannot exist without one another.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yes. It is the division of something conceptually into two opposed or contrasted aspects, or the state of being so divided; the quality or condition of being dual. As I said, Cause and Effect.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Then when keeping this dualism in mind, if we do choose the path you have proposed, there must logically be someone else who has done the opposite, no?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Correct. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So what reason is there for me not to represent that opposition myself?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Morality aside, it is because the opposition you speak of already exists. They are far ahead of you, and you cannot defeat them. This is about more than just the current war, it is about the entire future of humanity. My people - my father - are your attrition. They have already beat you in the race for power; it was over before any human was able to wield chakra. You will perish long before you are able to catch up, if the current state of affairs remains unchanged. Kaguya is not the last who will come for you, yet <em> she is the weakest </em>. Use this information well. If your society does not change, does not figure out how to make peace and prosperity a priority, then you have no future. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Do you see now, said Hashirama to his old friend, why you are wrong? You are only looking at one tree, when you should be looking at the whole forest. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The forest is gone, Hashirama! We were in a crater before, and now we are in this place. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It is ok to admit when you are wrong, Madara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I can do no such thing, my moral compass will not allow it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With all due respect, my friend, your moral compass is a fucking roulette wheel. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Fine, you are entitled to your opinion. Anyways, it's not that I am wrong; I just didn’t know that I wasn’t right, until now. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This all sounds very nice, Sasuke interjected, however I'm struggling to see a place for proper justice in any of this. Are we to accept abuses out of compassion? What of revenge, or of avenging those who have unjustly fallen? Compassion will obstruct justice, it will make us vulnerable to manipulation and wrongdoing.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke, said Naruto as he prepared to refute the assertion, would you say that it is proper to do good to the just, and harm to the unjust? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yes. That is how it should be. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>But there are consequences to that. Many who don't understand human nature have friends who are bad friends. By your logic, they should do harm to those friends. Conversely, there are those who have good enemies that they are supposed to benefit; if so, then it speaks the very opposite of what you just defined as just. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hmm. I guess you might be right. Maybe. Although, there is an error to correct in this definition of a friend or enemy. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What would you consider them to be, then?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Well, I think that in saying someone is a friend it implies that they not only seem good, but are good. If someone seems but is not good, then they aren't a friend, they just appear to be. I think the same applies to an enemy.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So the good are our friends and the bad are our enemies?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yes.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So then, instead we should do good to our friends when they are good, and harm to our enemies when they are evil; this would be just?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Exactly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>But is it even just to harm others at all?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Of course it is, if they are evil and they are an enemy. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So when a sword becomes dull, is it improved or deteriorated?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The latter. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Like, the sword now lacks good qualities of a sword, and not of a fuinjutsu seal?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yes, a sword needs to be sharp.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And a seal is deteriorated in the qualities of fuinjutsu, not of swords?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Of course. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Then won't people who are injured be deteriorated in regards to our proper human virtue?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Without a doubt.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And that virtue is justice?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>You got it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Then people - shinobi and civilians alike - who are injured are necessarily made unjust?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Seems like it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>But can a weapon-smith by her craft make swordsmen unskilled?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I don't think so.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Or can a bully who belittles your dick, via persistence, make it shrink?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Uh, oddly specific, Naruto...but, no.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So can the just, using justice, make someone unjust; or can the good, by virtue, make them bad?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Nah, that would be wack.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Any more than catching fire can make you cold?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>No.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Or being pushed into a river make you dry? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Nope.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And the good cannot harm anyone?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hell no.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And the just are the good?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Oh, worm.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So if you injure a friend or anyone else you are not acting as a just man, but the opposite, who is unjust?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>You are quite right, Naruto.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So if a man says that justice is the repayment of debts, and that good is the debt owed by a just man to his friends, and evil what he owes to his enemies - then he is wrong, because it's not wise or true at all, as we just proved by showing that the injuring of another man is never just. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tch. I agree with you. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So, you agree to join me in battling the incorrect mindset, through the power of Talk no Jutsu?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And also in war, Sasuke said. </p><p> </p><p>Several times during their conversation Madara had wanted to intervene and steer the discussion himself, but had been repeatedly silenced by Hashirama giving him 'the look', because the others wanted to hear whatever conclusion Naruto and Sasuke would come to. Now that they had finished speaking he could no longer hold back, and he went after them with all of the quiet fury stewing in his abdomen. Several among the group were frightened at the sight of him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What heresy is this, what do-gooder nonsense has taken possession of you all? If you really want to know what justice is, then stop asking questions and answer yourselves instead. Stop bolstering yourselves with the self-righteousness of believing your postulations are right and better than everyone else's. Are you implying that we should just forgive those who wrong us, because to do otherwise would be unjust, and we should pretend nothing injurious has been done in the first place?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara please, Hashirama said, calm down so we can discuss this properly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Do not tell me to calm down, he seethed, when I am being suggested to forgive and forget the deaths of my brothers and my kin! Of Izuna, killed by your own dear sibling. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What you do forget is that your family, too, took the lives of my younger brothers. However, I have learned to let go of such grudges for the betterment of all, and to prevent such occurrences from happening in the first place. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Yet look at where we are now. Has your forgiveness had the intended effect, is this what you wanted?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I don't think you are looking at forgiveness or its implications in the lighting of the truth. A second chance doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. In many ways, it is the more difficult thing to endure, because a second chance means that you have to try harder and make fundamental changes to the way you live your life. You must rise to the challenges you face without the blind optimism of ignorance.*</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It's not at all uncommon, added Hagoromo, to find a person's desires compelling him to go against his reason, and to see him cursing himself and venting his passion on the source of the compulsion within him. It's as if there were two warring factions within the mind, with passion fighting on the side of reason. But I'm sure you won't claim that you had ever, in yourself or in anyone else, met a case of passion siding with his desires against the rational mind, when the rational mind prohibits resistance. In both of you, Madara, Sasuke, and as I did with Indra, I see that your passion - the fierceness with which you love and protect - is pure in essence, but your desires for revenge and perfection have taken the tide of battle and bastardized what would be good intentions.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara remained quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, and then said: What, hypothetically, would you have me do if I were to forgive, repent, and then take up arms against this apparent greater enemy, Kaguya? When all is said and done, what is there left for me? Everyone I know is dead, and I do not belong to this present time; surely I cannot just return to live in the village. The very idea of it sounds absurd. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That will be up to them to decide, Hashirama said, while looking towards Naruto, Sasuke, and Aratashiki, and implicating the other leaders and shinobi not present as well. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Also uncomfortable with the idea of being forgiven, Sasuke wondered aloud what he too should do after the war ended.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I intend to become Hokage, but clearly everyone else thinks that is a terrible idea; I would garner no support, he added.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Being the most current representative of the village present, Naruto dared to offer an answer, or at least to make an attempt at doing so. He said: there was one time that I was talking with Kakashi-sensei about you, Sasuke; I was angry and hurt, struggling to understand why you had left the village to join Orochimaru; part of me wanted to get back at you for hurting me, hurting Sakura, and for leaving us behind. You had abandoned me, just like the rest of the village did when my parents died. In fact, do you remember what you said to me before you left? he asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>You might need to jog my memory on that, Sasuke said, averting his gaze in discomfort. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Alright, well it was “Just shut up for once! What the hell do you know about it?! It's not like you ever had a family in the first place! You were on your own right from the beginning, what makes you think you know anything about it?! Huh?! I'm suffering now because I had those ties, how on Earth could you possibly understand what it feels like to lose all that?!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The others were taken aback by the harshness of those words; they were absolutely brutal, and Sasuke was unable to completely hide his guilt as everyone’s eyes turned to him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Damn, I don’t think even Madara said something so awful to me, and he was the king of vitriol, commented Hashirama. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That can’t be true; I’m certain I said something just as scathing at least once, said Madara in defense of his venomous tongue - Sasuke and I have a lot in common.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What a terrible thing to say, Hashirama admonished, gasping upon hearing the audacious statement. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Anyways, interrupted Sasuke in an effort to move on from the subject, what are you saying by bringing that up, Naruto? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Oh, replied Naruto, it was just an example for everyone else of one of the things contributing to my anger towards you. So, all that aside, it wasn’t until I heard what Kakashi-sensei had to say that I was able to actually process everything, he said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Okay, what did Kakashi say? Don’t tell me it was ‘getting lost on the road of life’ or whatever.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto laughed, genuine and pure despite the heaviness in the air. No, he said, Kakashi-sensei told me that “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves”*. So I did, and I tried to empathize with you. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>And what was the result of that - how does this even relate to my earlier question?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I’m getting there, you know - I reflected on what he said; about how I would want to be treated, and how I would try to redeem myself, if I had ended up in your position. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In my mind, Naruto continued, there is one way for both of you to redeem yourselves; everyone has that one - or maybe a few - things that they are really good at, you know. And I think, that justice for you, or me, or Madara, or anyone else, is minding your own business - like, doing your own thing, you know? It doesn't mean that people should just go out and do whatever they want; I mean that everyone has some innate qualities or "business" that they should develop and put to unhindered use; contribute as much as you can to society, the greater good, the people you wronged; try and make up for whatever injustices you committed, and the pain you caused, he said. If we kill or punish every enemy who tries to redeem themselves, then nobody really wins; rather, we lose out on things that could have been good or beneficial, you know? If I had killed Nagato right away instead of talking with him first, half of the village would still be dead - Kakashi would be dead, and Hinata would be dead, too.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Indeed, said Hagoromo, you must find canvases for other people to paint on; be an anteambulo, clear the path for the people above you and you will eventually create a path for yourself.* People cling to their hate because they know that once it is gone, it will be replaced with pain; you must abandon your fear of feeling, face the things that torment you, and learn to move forward with them; thus the weak will never forgive, because it is an attribute of the strong; without forgiveness, life becomes a never-ending cycle of resentment and retaliation, he said. So, if any can remember a time that hatred solved a problem, speak now.</p><p> </p><p>When he finished talking a poignant quietude engulfed the space, the truth of both men’s words settling in for some and for others rattling them to the core. The atmosphere previously buzzing with unsaid thoughts and postulations became static and empty, and not a single person could speak to Hagoromo’s closing remark.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After they had all remained silent for so long, Hagoromo spoke up once more. Madara, Sasuke, he said, I ask to the both of you: does this mean to say that you are admitting error? Will you repent, and denounce the curse of hatred cast upon you by my son, Indra? </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke replied with a reluctant hum of agreeance, and Madara said yes, but reiterated that he was not wrong - only mistaken. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Satisfied with their answers and the progress made, Hagoromo Otsutsuki said a few parting words to each of the individuals in attendance; time was running out, and he needed to return to whatever realm his spirit normally existed within. Before leaving he relinquished some of his powers to both Sasuke and Naruto, to aid them should his mother inevitably return. At last, it seemed, the war might really come to an end; especially if they could prevent Kaguya from returning. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>*Original speakers, in order: <em> Obi-wan Kenobi, Ryan Holiday - The Ego Is the Enemy, Ling Ma, Confucius, Ryan Holiday. </em></p><p> </p><p>Credit to the classical text and novel adaptation of <em> The Republic </em> by Plato for debate structure and conceptual philosophical arguments.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Author Commentary:</b> </span>
</p><p>One thing I hear a lot of people complain about regarding the ending of Shippuden is how easily Naruto forgave Sasuke - not to mention countless others he has forgiven throughout the series - and so I wanted to try and flesh out the psychology behind those decisions, since it is a very important and relevant plot point in this story. As you might be able to tell, despite my goofy dialogue and blatant parody at times, I'm a real stickler for trying to make things <em> make sense </em> . Way more obvious in the rewrite, where I've fixed plot holes, but yeah. Suspension of disbelief. Furthermore, it seems like a lot of people miss or fail to grasp this <b>huge</b> theme in Naruto, which is fine because if everyone treated all of their entertainment sources like an English Lit project we would all be bitter, middle aged women. Anyways, that's why I'm including this chapter in the first place. </p><p> </p><p>Hagoromo and Hamura Otsutsuki are Buddhists in principle. I'm not going to dance around it for the sake of avoiding controversy, because it is so plainly obvious within the show. I firmly believe that Hagoromo is based off of Siddhartha Guatama, AKA, the Buddha himself. Siddhartha was born to royalty, sheltered from the truth of the world, and lived a normal life all through early adulthood and even got married/had kids, and then at the age of 29 he embarked on his ascetic journey. What prompted him to do this? Well, Siddartha encountered Four Sights: an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a holy man. Kaguya sheltered both of her sons, and her people, from the truth of their world as well - that she was a tyrant, and was sacrificing people to the Divine Tree for her own gain. In episode 461, <em> Hagoromo and Hamura </em> , we see Hagoromo first encounter Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage - he looks young at the time, but as we all know Gamamaru is <em> super fucking old </em> . Next, he encounters a snake-oil salesman who has such awful back issues that he has resorted to scamming people because he can’t really perform any other normal job. <em> A sick man </em>. Hagoromo heals his back, the man rejoices, and then the man is told to leave and never return to their land, for his own sake. </p><p> </p><p>Then comes the biggest moment, when Hagoromo and Hamura venture into the Divine Tree, which is forbidden, and find an ocean of corpses attached to its roots. Specifically, Hagoromo finds the corpse of a young woman whom he cared deeply for, named Haori. This shatters him, and he seeks out Gamamaru to take him up on the offer of learning senjutsu. Gamamaru is basically a frog Jesus and reveals a prophetic dream to Hagoromo and Hamura, which is something a holy man would do, you know? So there we go, our four Sights. </p><p> </p><p>After those four realizations, Siddartha began to seek out enlightenment, and eventually this happened: </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“Siddhartha sat alone under the Bodhi tree, vowing to not get up until the truths he sought came to him, and he meditated until the sun came up the next day. He remained there for several days, purifying his mind, seeing his entire life, and previous lives, in his thoughts. </p>
  <p>During this time, he had to overcome the threats of <b>Mara, an evil demon</b> , who challenged his right to become the Buddha. When Mara attempted to claim the enlightened state as his own, Siddhartha touched his hand to the ground and asked the Earth to bear witness to his enlightenment, which it did, <b>banishing Mara</b>. </p>
  <p>And soon a picture began to form in his mind of all that occurred in the universe, and Siddhartha finally saw the answer to the questions of suffering that he had been seeking for so many years. In that moment of pure enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha.”</p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote><p>Sound familiar? Hagoromo learned Sage powers, which are activated via meditation and becoming “one with nature/the universe”, and then was able to defeat Kaguya alongside his brother Hamura. After which point he basically ascended to god-hood. Yep.</p><p> </p><p>The Rinnegan is literally called the reincarnation eye, and the Six Paths powers(of which there are actually seven) are based on the Buddhist realms of reincarnation. Straight from the wiki:</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“The Six Paths share their names with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_realm"> six realms of reincarnation </a> in Buddhism: Deva, Asura, Human, Animal, Preta, and Naraka. Each of these "paths" represents one of the realms a being may be reborn into after death, determined by the accumulated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma"> karma </a> of their past lives. While the two lower realms, Preta and Naraka, are hellish, and the two higher realms, Deva and Asura, are heavenly, all six are considered to be realms of suffering, as they perpetuate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra_(Buddhism)"> Saṃsāra </a>, the cycle of reincarnation; the only way to break this cycle and ascend to a higher state of existence is to attain enlightenment.</p>
  <p>The Outer Path, derived from the Sanskrit term <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C4%ABrthika"> <em> Tīrthika </em> </a> , refers to any doctrine that "treads the outer path" to enlightenment. This is opposed to the teachings of orthodox Buddhism, the <em> Naidō </em> (内道, <em> Literally meaning: </em> Inner Path), and is thus considered misguided and heretical.”</p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote><p>Gedō - the Outer Path - is frowned upon. The Gedo statue is the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and is literally the husk of the Juubi, which is a life-sucking parasite. Makes sense to me. Also, we know that Hagoromo doesn’t truly die, since he shows up during the war….because he’s <em> enlightened </em>. Then we have Indra and Ashura, who are reincarnated repeatedly until they break their own cycle of mutual suffering - which is exactly what Samsara is. I really don’t even feel like I need to point out all the instances of Karma in the series, especially if you have seen Boruto, lol.</p><p>If all of this isn’t enough to convince you that Buddhist philosophy is central to the show/Naruto’s world, then….well, that's too bad I suppose. The reason I just outlined all of that is so that I can make my <b>real</b> point, which is the key to understanding Naruto Uzumaki’s character, as well as Aratashiki, and the main theme driving my plot. </p><p>Bodhicitta, which means “enlightened mind”, is the Buddhist concept of absolute compassion - a mind that strives towards awakening, empathy, and compassion for all sentient beings. It is closely tied with the principle of Ahimsa(compassion), the first of the five precepts of buddhism. Anyone who has generated bodhicitta is referred to as a bodhisattva, and is considered to be on the path to buddhahood. Siddhartha Guatama was a bodhisattva. The four divine abodes, or virtues, of a bodhisattva are loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity(<em> equanimity: </em> <em> mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation </em>).</p><p>[Ahimsa as a precept involves non-violence, and is extremely relevant to war theories. I’m not going to spoil what comes next for the Villages, so I won’t explain Ahimsa until later, during the second discussion-chapter.]</p><p>Does this sound like anyone we know? Because to me it sure sounds like our knuckleheaded ninja, and what his character development had been leading towards throughout the series. Naruto Uzumaki is the first of Ashura’s reincarnations to break the cycle of war and hatred - to become <em> enlightened </em> , if you will. Hence, he is one of the only characters who fully embraces this concept of absolute compassion. <b>This is why Naruto is so empathetic and forgiving towards his enemies, and why he tries so hard to understand them. It is not because of bad writing, fan-service, lack of a spine, stupidity, or hopeless optimism, but because on a spiritual level Naruto Uzumaki is wholly compassionate to a degree that the majority of people never have and never will achieve. </b></p><p>Naruto is just a better person than any of us could hope to be.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Blue Eyes White Dragon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Over 100,000 words later, we finally reach the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War arc, and a new world awaits our arrival.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>“With great power…comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.”</em> </b>
</p><p>- Rick Riordan, <em> The Last Olympian </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 20: Blue-eyes White Dragon</b> </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Blackness crept out across the sky as the Tanoshuyume ended, and the Allied Shinobi Forces stuttered back to life like an old mill that hadn’t felt the influence of a current in years. Confused mutterings rippled throughout the crowd as people tried to sort out their missing time, a task that was not helped by the upstart of tremors rattling the earth while the Juubi roused from its own slumber. Only an hour had passed them by, but in that hour those who were awake and maintaining the barrier - Minato, Tobirama, and the clones of Hashirama and Aratashiki - had grown dangerously weary. Aratashiki’s clone was beginning to falter, and it was a lucky happenstance that the Juubi seemed to be going about a ‘morning routine’ of sorts before resuming it’s rampage, because the barrier fell shortly after the genjutsu was released.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The sensor division scrambled in their communications, trying to keep everyone calm while they figured out what had happened; a fact which was not helped when the Raikage started ranting aloud, wondering if they were in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. What if this was their plan all along, he said, to play them all like fools. Obito assured him that was not the case, as the Ten-tails would morph into a literal tree if that genjutsu were cast. This calmed A for a brief moment until he realized that Obtio was the man who had started the war in the first place, at which point the Raikage became enraged. But before he had any time to summon the fires of hell and rain them upon Obito, his anger was redirected towards Madara Uchiha, who had just re-appeared from Parity alongside Hashirama, Sasuke, Naruto, and Aratashiki. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Every single on-looker tensed simultaneously, ready to attack at the behest of their leaders. No one knew what to make of the odd quintet of friend and foe alike, who were standing around and trying to regain their bearings while the Raikage growled at them. Darui and Killer B had to step in and hold on to the menace so that Naruto would have a chance to explain what was going on <em> without </em> being hell-stabbed. Aratashiki was hunched over on the ground with her back towards everyone else while Naruto, Madara, Sasuke, and Hashirama formed a defensive shield in front of her, should any brave soul try to attack their group.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Okay you guys, I know this all looks pretty bad,” Naruto began, “but actually something really great just happened-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What’s going on, why are there balls floating around your head?” A roared, spittling with fury. “Did you abandon us for a wardrobe change? Have you decided to side with the enemy now?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Breaking free from his captors, the Raikage charged at Madara, fists crackling with black lightning. He was swiftly thwarted by one of Hashirama’s wood dragons, however - the wooden beast absorbed his chakra lightning before wrapping around his body and constricting, effectively subduing the man. Madara didn’t even bother putting up his susanoo in defense; Aratashiki’s fist of fury had punched right through it earlier, and he wasn’t too optimistic about withstanding that strange, obsidian lightning either.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Everyone, please listen and remain calm!” Hashirama yelled, surveying the crowd and glancing at Tsunade for backup. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a short nod she turned around and raised her arms in the air, commanding their forces to stand down while herself and the other kage handled the situation. Naruto called out for Ino, requesting her aid in broadcasting a message to the alliance. Behind him, Ara shakily stood to her feet, prompting Sakura and Hinata to question her well-being; Ara, who herself was trying not to panic, insisted that she was fine. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ino bounded over to Naruto, eager to help. “Who’s talking?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I believe <em> Madara </em> has something he would like to say - isn’t that right?” Hashirama said, fixing his irritated companion with a stern glare. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A look of horror settled onto Ino’s face and she turned her head towards the man in question, suddenly wanting to retract her offer of assistance. Despite his excellent Uchiha genes, Madara Uchiha was the last man she wanted to touch; not because he was at the bottom of her list, but because he wasn’t on the list to begin with. Furthermore, he smelled like a rejuvenated corpse that had spent an entire day in heated combat, which is exactly what he was. When Naruto assured her that it was safe Ino began to approach the man, reaching out with shaky hands to connect him to their telepathic network. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What do you mean ‘safe’? This man dropped two meteors on us!” The Raikage found his voice again upon hearing Naruto’s assurances, opting for a verbal attack in lieu of his physical restraint. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Whatever, neither of them made contact anyways,” Madara said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring the other man down. “In fact, I’ve prevented countless murders today thanks to my self-control.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Self- control, my ass. You faked your own death and plotted the end of the world for seventy years. And now you’re trying to take our free will, to kill us all!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I'm not going to stand here and listen to you accuse me of things I clearly did!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re lucky I haven’t started broadcasting yet, you prick,” Ino said, impulsively yanking Madara’s hair in an effort to shut him up; a risky move, but thankfully he was too busy defending his honor to care.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“This is a man to man conversation, little girl,” Madara hissed at her. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh yeah? Well, it looks like you’re one man short then.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito, who was spectating from a safe distance and hiding behind Kakashi, began to snort with laughter, earning himself a hard-elbow to the stomach from the man in front of him. This was not the time to risk re-provoking the enemy, Kakashi thought; he was perceptive enough to suspect that the other lunatic Uchiha had a change of heart as well. Or, whatever was the equivalent of such a thing for a man like Madara. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, quit embarrassing yourself. This is supposed to be your moment of redemption,” Hashirama said. “We would all really appreciate a heartfelt monologue. Maybe a spin-off of something you said in our earlier discussion.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah, you’re really not helping the clan’s reputation right now,” Sasuke muttered. He felt like he was in some kind of nightmare; it would have been a miracle to have found another Uchiha survivor, if said survivor was literally anyone else other than the pissy, fanatical hedgehog he’d gotten stuck with. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fine. I’m ready to project, or whatever,” Madara said, glancing behind his shoulder at Ino.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh, you’ve been protecting <em> plenty </em>, my guy,” she scoffed. “The floor is yours.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Nervous now that he was under the public’s scrutiny for non-violent reasons, Madara twiddled his gloved thumbs together for a moment before he made his statement. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Good evening. Um, I’ve decided to change my plans, and I will no longer be sacrificing you all to the divine tree.” Madara paused, listening to the crickets. Perhaps he should add something else, he decided. “Let me just say, from the bottom of my heart...my bad.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Seriously, that’s it?” Hashirama hung his head. It had been so long since they last interacted that he’d forgotten Madara’s utter lack of social grace. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The crowd erupted into whispers and the occasional shouted insult while Naruto berated Madara for being so undignified. Huddling together to discuss among themselves, the kage - including Minato and Tobirama - sought additional information from Hashirama, and debated their next move. Ino, well beyond her physical contact limit, was preparing to take her leave when one of the shinobi in the distance began to yell.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Something’s happening!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>While everyone had been distracted by the sudden turn of events, the Juubi had remained surprisingly quiet. In fact, the monster had started to disappear altogether, which was the reason for the panicked shout they’d just hurt. Everyone’s heads turned towards the ten-tails, watching in confusion and terror as someone - or <em> something </em>- began to seal the beast into its body. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> Twas the day of the armistice, when all through the cave </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not an Uchiha was stirring, not in this enclave; </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The stalactites clung to the roof in perpetuity, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In hopes that Kabuto would soon break Izanami. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kabuto pushed himself off of the ground for what felt like the thousandth time, dreading yet another clash with Itachi Uchiha’s sword. He understood now, and he wanted to scream and cry out to the gods that he realized the error of his ways, how lost he had become, and that now he just wanted to break free so he could make amends. Fixing his gaze toward the far end of the cavern to find the Uchiha once again, Kabuto choked on his own breath when he found the space in front of him to be empty. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Unsure if he had really broken free from the Izanami genjutsu or not, Kabuto paced around the dimly lit cave, searching for any signs of life. Itachi was gone. Sasuke was gone. He ran towards the entrance and burst out into the night, and when his face turned skywards Kabuto’s tear-stained cheeks glimmered in the moonlight. It was true. This was his second chance, an opportunity to stop pursuing perfection and to start living as <em> himself </em>. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thankfully his temporary lair was less than two kilometres away from where the Juubi had been resurrected, and Kabuto wasted no time in getting there. He spotted Orochimaru first, who was standing on the outskirts with the rest of team Taka - not including Sasuke Uchiha. Trailing his eyes past them towards a glowing orange character that he believed to be Naruto Uzumaki, Kabuto noticed that something was amiss. No one was fighting. In fact, Madara Uchiha was right next to Naruto and Sasuke, conversing with them about something; even the Juubi was acting strange, he noted, as if it had been knocked out cold and was just now regaining consciousness. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As he prepared to approach Orochimaru and ask him what the hell was going on, Kabuto’s ankle was suddenly caught. A cold, slimy tendril wrapped around his legs, holding him in a vice-like grip. Kabuto snapped his head around to find his assailant and met the disturbing, yellow gaze of Black Zetsu.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kabuto, how kind of you to come right to me,” it said, flashing him with a harrowing grin. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What are you doing?” Kabuto asked, trying not to panic as he felt the thing begin to encase his flesh within its own. “I don’t want to help you anymore, I’ve-”</p><p> </p><p>“Shhh,” it whispered, silencing him with its will. Twisting its neck around the back of Kabuto’s head, it spoke into his ear. “There’s been a troublesome turn of events. I’m going to need your body.” </p><p> </p><p>Unable to move or scream out in desperation, Kabuto stood helplessly while the creature took control of his limbs. He tried his best to fight back internally, but the Will battering against his consciousness was overwhelming in its power; he had never personally felt such a strong sense of want - for anything - to the degree with which Black Zetsu desired its indecipherable goal. Not knowing what would happen to him or if he would survive whatever Zetsu had planned, Kabuto focused on thoughts of his older brother whom he had hoped to see again. A silent apology was the last thing to grace Kabuto’s thoughts before his mind was taken over completely. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“No way...is that Kabuto?” Sasuke asked, an incredulous look on his face. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Motherfucker,” Aratashiki cursed, her frustration unrelated to Sasuke’s question.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This was not an ideal situation. Rather, it was the opposite of ideal; she had calculated the risk and amount of chakra she would be using to make their earlier pow-wow a reality, but apparently she was not as good at math as she had been during her childhood. Once again, she found herself severely lacking in energy, mentally berating herself for being so stupid. In her calculations, she had left out the important detail that she was <em> not </em>, and had not been at any point, operating with her full reserves. Her natural chakra was so immense that even with medical aid or supplements it would take around a month to completely regenerate, because it was not physically possible for her cells to combine physical and spiritual energy any faster than that without dying off or damaging their genetic material. And, unfortunately, the seal only coughed up a relatively small amount of chakra when broken - likely, she had not even had the same amount as the ten-tails to begin with. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Although, in the back of her mind Ara still felt like something was amiss. She briefly wondered if she had a chakra leak or something, but soon dismissed the idea as preposterous; she was a flesh being, not a computer with a faulty RAM. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Staying on the side of optimism, she told herself that this was all worth it since Naruto had successfully negotiated peace; furthermore, thanks to the Sage of Six Paths, Naruto and Sasuke both had the ability to seal Kaguya themselves, should she be resurrected. Which is exactly what seemed to be happening. The main reason Ara was kicking herself was because if either Naruto or Sasuke were to die or be otherwise decommissioned, it would be up to her to eliminate Kaguya - something she was not capable of at the moment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Looking towards the newly-minted Jinchuuriki of the Juubi, Ara tried to calm her nerves and think rationally about their predicament. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>What could she do to ensure their success, Ara asked herself. Unfortunately lending them power was out of the question, but perhaps she could prepare them in some other way to face her cousin. Gasping as an idea came to mind, Ara turned around and took hold of Naruto and Sasuke’s arms to grab their attention. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ara-san, are you ok?” Naruto asked. “Do you think…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes. Zetsu is going to revive Kaguya - at this point it can’t really be stopped. I don’t have the energy, and I won’t be able to help you fight her,” Ara told him regretfully. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto exchanged a nervous glance with Sasuke. “So we need to fight her on our own, then?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You don’t need me, Naruto. Hagoromo gave both of you his chakra, so you are more than capable of sealing her away. I believe in you.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If one of us dies, though,” Sasuke said, “who will-” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Stop. Don’t even entertain the idea, Sasuke. We won’t fail. We <em> can’t </em>,” Naruto said, with a determined look on his face. It seemed his momentary lapse in confidence had passed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“There is one more thing I can do to help you, but it's going to take all that I have left, and I may not wake up for a while,” Aratashiki said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A while, just how long are we talking?” Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It doesn’t matter. Just trust me when I say I <em> will </em> wake up, okay? Don’t waste your worry on me, and please tell the others not to do so either,” she said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t like the sound of this.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Too bad. I’ve made my decision.” Ara sat back onto her knees and held her palms out, both rinnegan locking onto their gazes. “One more thing - Sasuke, if she casts the Infinite Tsukuyomi, you and Madara should be able to use your susanoo to shield yourselves from its effects. Don’t get caught, and don’t let Naruto get caught either.”</p><p> </p><p>Sasuke nodded, and after mustering up her remaining chakra, Ara began sifting through the timeline. She bid them good luck before projecting what she could find into their minds, showing them some of Kaguya’s past, her known abilities, and revealing whatever weaknesses of hers that might be exploited in the upcoming battle. The last thing Aratashiki saw before slipping into unconsciousness were the alarmed faces of Hinata and Neji as they approached to see what was happening, and then she was greeted by the violet-tinged abyss behind her eyelids. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>August 1st, two days later - Valley of the End</b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’ve finally come to, huh?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke blinked as he awoke, his mind blissfully blank while the burred edges of his vision sharpened and revealed the clear night sky looming overhead. The valley was silent other than a faint drip echoing from some place nearby, a soft sound tugging at his eyelids. Nature’s lullaby coaxed him back towards the brink of unconsciousness, but just before he could succumb to the dark limbo of sleep, the one place he dared to call ‘home’, a jolt of white-hot agony tore through his body. He gasped in pain, and upon looking down at its source Sasuke saw the shredded stump of flesh and bone that had taken the place of his forearm.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“As you can see, if either of us moves too much we’ll bleed out and die.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Confusion struck him for a moment, because he didn’t think that it sounded like such a bad fate - and then Sasuke remembered just <em> who </em> was talking to him. This cleared up his perplexity regarding the previous statement, but in doing so brought about a fresh bout of bewilderment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Why...do you do it? Why do you go so far just to get in my way? I finally gained the power...to enter the darkness. To sever all ties. Everyone else tried to cut ties with me, too...except you,” Sasuke said, his voice cracking with emotion. “You never tried to cut me off. Why do you keep involving yourself with me?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He rolled his head to the side to look at the blonde laying next to him, who was smiling softly and tracing the clouds with his gaze. Sasuke could see the warmth within his eyes, despite the violet rings around them and the pallor of his skin. Skin decorated with an assortment of greens, yellows and purples, a testament to the explosive nature of their bond. No matter what Sasuke did or said to try and push him away, Naruto’s optimism never seemed to fade, not even in the face of death. It was confusing, irritating, completely absurd...and beautiful.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You know that already,” Naruto said, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “I mean, come on, don’t you? Your body can’t move, but your fat mouth still can-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Just answer me,” Sasuke snarled, anger swelling in his chest. It always annoyed him when Naruto danced his way around something instead of getting to the point. Dances were for poets and romantics like Madara Uchiha, and had no place mingling with their particular brand of raw passion and brutal intensity. Besides, Sasuke didn’t want to say what he thought he knew: if he was <em> right </em>, then he wasn’t prepared to deal with the scenario. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto finally met Sasuke’s eyes, and the smile dropped from his features, replacing their previous warmth with something else entirely. Something that made Sasuke’s heart tremble with anticipation, threatening to infect his lungs with a kind of desperation he refused to show. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If this had all happened when we were fifteen or somethin’, I would have said that it's because you’re my friend.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Which you have said before, numerous times,” Sasuke interjected, the sarcasm in his head not reaching the tone with which he spoke.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Unsurprising, he thought; that seemed to be happening more and more lately as the curve of his emotions continued to flatten with each passing week, a pattern that had begun shortly after his confrontation with Danzo. Winding down, making their final preparations for the long sleep ahead. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah. Back then I didn’t really know what that meant to me, you know? But as I got a little older, I started to understand. Well,” Naruto paused to give him an awkward grin, and if they hadn’t lost so much blood the dobe probably would have blushed too. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Swallowing thickly, Sasuke felt a flutter in his abdomen, and he prayed that it was a cluster of black ascalapha moths lurking in there, rather than butterflies. The pain from his wound was pushed out by something else, an unfamiliar sensation that left him feeling slightly woozy, but not at all unpleasant, and the lack of said unpleasantness felt foreign as it invaded his body. He had felt...whatever <em> this </em> was once or twice before, but only in passing; now was the first time Sasuke actually allowed himself to acknowledge the sensation. Or rather, the first time he lacked the energy to ignore it. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I actually didn’t realize until a few months ago, after I started dating Hinata,” Naruto continued. “You’re my family and my best friend, Sasuke, and you always will be. But you’re also- er, I meant that at one point in time, you were something else to me too, you know?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>To say that Sasuke’s heart didn’t droop ever so slightly at the mention of Hinata would be a complete lie, a blasphemous trick of the tongue even for someone like him. Instead of dwelling on it, however, he decided to let Naruto continue rambling and processing whatever it was that needed to be said. Sasuke couldn’t even remember if he had ever actually talked to Hinata - were they the heiress or that other dude, he wondered. No, the guy was named Yeti. Or maybe it was Leggy, but that didn’t seem right either. Neddy, Sasuke thought all of a sudden; Neddy had to be it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“When I see you take on stuff and get all messed up, it hurts me. It hurts so much inside that I can’t just leave it alone. Right now, I’m in a ton of pain everywhere, inside and out,” Naruto said, laughing quietly. Sasuke didn’t share in his amusement. “Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>No, Sasuke wanted to scream. He wanted to plug his ears, but didn’t even have the necessary appendages to do so at the moment. Sasuke needed Naruto to <em> stop </em>, to not vocalize or shine even a glimmer of hope down unto those things which Sasuke fought tooth and nail to bury inside of him. Already, though, he could feel it begin to resurface. Damn it, he thought, that asshole needs to shut up.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-I loved you, Sasuke.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Strange as it was, he was still utterly flabbergasted to hear the words spoken so plainly, despite anticipating them. Like some lovestruck school girl, Sasuke’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat when he heard Naruto’s admission. The dobe...actually loved him? That couldn’t be, he thought, now that it was out in the open. Sure, the idea - the fantasy - was well cemented in his mind, but Sasuke never imagined that it could literally be true. No one could love someone wretched like him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I loved you in <em> every </em> sense of the word. I couldn’t accept it when you said that you hated me, couldn’t understand it, couldn’t bear the thought. All else aside, a part of me just wanted to know why you never...why you didn’t love me back, or show that you did.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thinking back to the childhood they’d shared, Sasuke pretended to examine his own emotions before deciding on a response. When they first met, he <em> thought </em> he’d hated Naruto: the way he talked, his stupid yellow hair and bright clothing, his big goofy smile. He hated the way he was always kind of right about stuff, and how Naruto seemed to read his mind. He hated when he tried to make him laugh, because he’d always wanted to laugh, and never allowed himself to. But most of all, Sasuke hated that he <em> didn’t </em> hate Naruto. He never had. Not even close, not even a little bit. Not even at all. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Indeed, hate was so the opposite of what he felt for Naruto that it was intellectually dishonest and perhaps downright immoral to even consider equating the two concepts. As a child he’d watched Naruto’s eyes light up with smiles, the blue spilling forth and sweeping Sasuke away in a river of light and goodness during bad times. Yes, everything Sasuke <em> did </em> know about love, he had first learned from Naruto, watching as the blonde’s soul grew like a rose and made it past all of the thorns in its way - several of which Sasuke had planted himself - so that he could remain in the sunshine. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re my <em> everything </em>,” Sasuke said, but the words never made it out of his head, his vocal cords not receiving any real orders to produce the sound. So instead Sasuke said that Naruto was like a brother to him, dying on the inside as the ridiculous statement left his mouth. Which was really saying something, because Sasuke was sure that anything living within him had died off long ago.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto let out a heavy sigh, shifting his gaze back towards the sky. “I was always jealous of you, you know.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A small part of Sasuke was embittered by Naruto’s quick acceptance, about his lack of protest regarding their ‘bro’ status. He promptly squashed it out, reminding himself that he ought to be grateful, because the non-resistance would make the inevitable easier whenever it came to pass.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No. It was the opposite. I was jealous of <em> you </em>, Naruto,” Sasuke admitted.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They continued to reminisce, and eventually Sasuke found himself to be - somehow - watching Naruto’s memories from throughout the years, like he was inside of Naruto’s head. From their early days at the academy, to the chunin exams, and up until his own brother, Itachi, had entrusted Naruto with taking care of him, Sasuke watched their lives from his sun’s perspective. It was overwhelming, and at some point he began to weep.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “Remember, becoming Hokage isn’t about being acknowledged - only those already acknowledged can become Hokage. Never forget your friends.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Images of Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, their classmates, and even ‘Neddy’, flashed through Sasuke’s borrowed headspace. They were all his friends, and they had all been waiting for him to come back to them, to remember; the entire village, everyone he had known and pushed away. Sasuke pictured himself now, standing alongside them to face the future. To face whatever would come next, after Kaguya. And without a flicker of surprise, Sasuke saw just how out of place he seemed within the portrait. He clashed with the others like an ugly stain on a hand-made tomesode, offensive and audacious in his brash display of attempting to belong. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was foolish, all of it, and especially their forgiveness of him. Maybe they thought forgiveness would help him or something, but it was doing the opposite; pouring oil onto the flames of self hatred that had burned in the core of his being like an ancient coal-fire, ever since he was a child. Ever since that fateful night just three days ahead of his eighth birthday. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Before they knew any time had passed, both men were opening their eyes for the second time, greeted by the gentle caresses of the morning star as it rose above the valley and shined its light down around them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Where are we?” Naruto asked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It looks like we fell asleep, and slept the whole night through. We didn’t die after all,” Sasuke said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He didn’t bother trying to hide his disappointment regarding that fact. Nor did he bother asking Naruto how the hell he could possibly forget a place like this - the Valley of the End, where they had fought seriously for the first time. Where Sasuke had knelt over Naruto’s unconscious form, terrified that he’d killed him. His teenage hormones had screamed at him to kiss the idiot, to just give up and stop fighting the only good that might ever come his way.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Instead, Sasuke had left, closing the doorway to that reality forever. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>After twitching violently for several moments like a bug with a broken wing, Naruto groaned in frustration, trying and failing to move around. “Dammit. I wanted to hit you again. To open your eyes for real!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In a rare moment of uninhibited emotion - or maybe hysteria - that startled them both, Sasuke let loose a bout of genuine laughter; it was so jarring for Naruto to witness, that it just ended up agitating him further. Sasuke decided that he might as well ride the wave, manic or not - it might be the last time he ever felt the pleasure of mirth. The last time he felt anything, period. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What's so funny, tough guy?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“God, you fucking spazzo - we’re all messed up, and you <em> still </em> want to fight,” Sasuke replied. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Damn right, whatever it takes!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Calm down, Usuratonkachi. I admit it.” Sasuke’s laughter stopped, and a smile spread out across his face in its stead. “I’ve lost.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The words and the smile felt alien, almost like someone else was forming them. But it was a genuine expression from the little bit left of ‘Sasuke’, and he wouldn’t deprive Naruto of experiencing it. He’d taken so much from Naruto over the years, and unfortunately wasn’t done just yet. But it was necessary to maintain this distance, because Sasuke knew that if he wasn’t careful he would end up melting in Naruto’s arms, and he wouldn’t ever be able to leave if that happened.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was a truth that cut, not through one of them but through both, and would cut even deeper if he held on instead of letting go. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You fucking idiot!” Naruto snapped. “This isn’t about winning or losing. It's about getting my wemo friend to pull his head out of his ass!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What the fuck does ‘wemo’ mean?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It means that you’re a <em> wannabe </em>emo. Because you think you’re alone, but you’re not.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke tried his best not to feel insulted. He’d put a lot of work into his ‘emo’ aesthetic, but alas it was time to join his older brother - to evolve, and become a goth. He knew that he wasn’t alone. That was actually part of the problem: he<em> needed </em> to be alone. Wanted to be alone. Loneliness was all that he knew, and all that he deserved. Sasuke had to try one more time to shake Naruto off. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hey, Naruto.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You know, I just acknowledged you. If I die here, the long cycle of destiny that Hagoromo mentioned might end. That’s a kind of revolution, too. Have Madara release the Infinite Tsukuyomi once I’m dead. And I….I will just put an end to myself.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No way. If you’re willing to die, then live and help me instead. Also, someone already ended the infinite Tsukuyomi. How else would it have been nighttime? Dumbass...besides, our revolution isn’t over until we change the villages’ ways. Remember what we talked about, back in Ara-chan’s dying mansion?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke shot Naruto a quizzical look. “Her...what? You mean her <em> dimension </em>?” he scoffed.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He could have been a bit easier on the dolt. After all, they’d both lost a <em> lot </em> of blood.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Er, yeah, whatever. But we have to fix things: strengthen the alliance, reform our wills, our Ninshu even, and get all shinobi to cooperate - and that definitely includes you. I need you, Sasuke.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Those words twisted in his heart like a knife, and Sasuke pleaded for the pain to just turn into spite, into anything he could use to his advantage.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah, well there’s no guarantee that everyone will go along with it, no matter how badly you want them to. And what if I oppose you again?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke, are you fucking kidding me? Stop whining! You sound like a cordless vacuum.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“There are cordless vacuums? Wait, since when do you clean shit, anyways?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m very clean, which you would know if you hadn’t fucked off for so long. And yeah, we have <em> cordless motherfucking vacuums </em>now. Imagine what we will have in, like, ten years! There could be wireless puppets, too, or wireless...uh...wired devices! Which you’re gonna miss out on if you’re dead.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Tch. Efficient house cleaning isn’t exactly a compelling reason to continue living.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Whatever, man. If you do go against me I’ll just stop you again, but I know you won’t do that anymore.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Narrowing his eyes as he peered at his friend, Sasuke felt another unwelcome flutter in his abdomen. “How can you be sure?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Do I really need to say it again? You were always so dense,” Naruto sighed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>For some reason, this was the response that finally blew down the house of cards. Before Naruto could continue, a choked sob made its way out of Sasuke’s throat, derailing Naruto’s train of thought. Tears of sorrow and distress began to pour down Sasuke’s face, and Naruto wished for nothing more than to be able to hold him against his chest and comfort him in that moment. Sasuke, on the other hand, was fighting the urge not to roll himself over like an ear of corn, then onward towards the end of the cliff, and to keep rolling until he flopped over the edge. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke, what is it?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The broken man sniffled, his chest heaving with ragged breaths as he tried to collect himself. He was so humiliated, and furious at being betrayed by his own tongue, unable to hold closed the floodgates of confession. “Why...does this keep happening?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What do you mean, what’s happening?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It hurts <em> so much </em>, Naruto. Most of the time I don’t really feel anything, but then...then it all hits me at once. Like a punch to the gut. I can’t control it, avoid it, or make it stop. All the pain from everything that has happened, it all comes flooding back. I’m reliving it, I’m constantly on edge, paranoid. I just want relief. I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke...when we get back, I think you should, you know, get help. Not because there’s something wrong with you, that isn’t what I mean - but your trauma, all the things you’ve suppressed...it isn’t healthy. I think if you talked to someone about it, like a professional, it would be really beneficial for you. Maybe even Sakura could help, if you don’t feel comfortable with a stranger.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Mulling over the idea in his head, Sasuke couldn’t help but agree. Perhaps in another life he could actually accept and follow through with the offer. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>But what if he <em> did </em> just...give in? Was it worth a shot? He wasn’t so sure, and thinking about Sakura filled him with guilt once again. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto, what about us?” He blurted, internally screeching at himself for doing so.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Huh?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I mean, you’re with Hinata now, right?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke no longer had the energy to fight against the conversation he apparently wanted to have. It was already out of the bag, best to sit back and wait for natural selection to take care of the cat.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh. Uh, yeah. Look, Sasuke...you were my first love. Like, in <em> that </em> way, you know? And maybe I still do love you like that. Maybe if things had gone differently, then…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“...but that isn’t how things went. And I’m happy with the way things are right now; I don’t know if I want it to change. I still love you, but I’m <em> in </em> love with Hinata now. I think. That’s the first time I’ve admitted it out loud, to be honest.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke chuckled, hoping that Naruto somehow missed the putrid bitterness saturating the noise. “I understand. I also didn’t technically say that I wanted to take her place or anything, by the way. Tch.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Look...I’m not gonna speak for you, or force it out of you, but I will say that you’re not fooling this guy. Sorry, ‘Sas. I sure hope it doesn’t affect the future of your clan.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They both snorted in laughter while imagining the same preposterous image of Sasuke trying to rebuild his clan by himself, which left the question of just who Sasuke could become involved with if he were to decide on taking that step. He may have been popular with the girls while they were at the academy, but his reputation was not quite the same nowadays. If he’d been a cinnamon roll back then, he was now a poisonous mushroom growing on the back of some old woman’s corpse. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto seemed to be thinking in step with him. “You know, Sasuke, there is one person who might-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At the mention of the devil, a furious shriek cut Naruto off mid-sentence, and a flash of pink hair danced at the top of the ridge before descending upon the two men. Kakashi, who was right behind the pinkette, stayed perched high on the cliff, allowing his three students a moment to themselves. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto! Sasuke!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She landed in between the recent amputees, assessing their wounds and beginning the healing process without comment; Sakura’s face was uncharacteristically stoic while she tended to the injuries. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Thank you, Sakura,” Naruto said, breathing a sigh of relief. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His tears had finally dried, but Sasuke’s guilt still remained as it always had and always would; there was so much he wanted to say to her; so much he <em> needed </em> to say. “Sakura, I’m-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shut up. I need to focus so I can heal you guys.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m sorry.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura flinched. “Sorry? For what?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“For...everything,” Sasuke whispered. “I’m so sorry, Sakura.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Her composed exterior shattered, and Sakura’s shoulders began to shake as tears threatened to spill beyond her lower eyelids. “You’d better be,” she said, her voice straining to stay even. “It’s about damn time, you idiot!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Rubbing his sore neck with his remaining arm, Sasuke sat up alongside Naruto, who tried to comfort their now-sobbing teammate. Sasuke watched them interact, noticing the tenderness and compassion that Naruto displayed for the woman, and wished that he’d gotten the chance to learn how to treat others with a similar level of empathy.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Just as he had felt the pain of his father, mother, and Itachi, Sasuke chose to feel Naturo’s pain as well, and to bear it with him from there until his bitter end. Which would hopefully be soon, so that he could take Naruto’s pain with him when he left. Then, thinking of his elder brother’s last words to him, he decided that the same would apply to his friends, even in death. Confirming the decision in his head, he looked over to Naruto, the one he would do it for, the one who was….</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His everything.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><b> <em>“No matter what happens to you from here on out...I will always love you.”</em> </b> </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <b>September 1st - Konohagakure</b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You pulled me out, turned on the lights </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Used your tree to give me life </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Little boys depend on things like that.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Madara groaned, covering his ears. For almost thirty days he had suffered this torture, and found himself  wading on the fringes of insanity. He was adrift in the ocean of madness, helpless while he gazed at the peace and quiet of the distant and mentally-sound shoreline. A moronic and unfortunately sentient waste of food, water, and oxygen clung to Madara’s side, singing while it stroked his long hair.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Fixed my leg and combed my hair </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Saved my arm from disrepair </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You were always there when I looked back </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You had to do it all alone </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Found the cave, and made a home </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Must have been as hard as it could be </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> And when I couldn't sleep at night </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Scared things wouldn't turn out right </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You would squeeze my neck and threaten me-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>From the corner of the concrete cell, Sasuke curled further into himself, praying that the clutches of sleep would spare him from the rest of the unsolicited performance. Somehow, despite what their local musician had tried to convince him of, he doubted that the eldest Uchiha had ever sang anything to anyone during either of his lives.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Sacrifice to the God-tree, that is all you'll ever be </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You can try but they won’t hear you scream </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Wish you may and wish you might </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Quit your crying, close your eyes </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I promise you will get to dream someday </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Endless Tsuki-no-Me.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Obito, shut the fuck up!<em>” </em> Madara roared, pushing the man off of him with a hard shove. Sprawled out across the floor, Obito erupted into laughter, pointing a finger at Madara’s face. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You should see the look on your face right now, ‘dara,” he wheezed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What? You can’t even see my face, you blind piece of shit!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In truth, Madara couldn’t see Obito’s face either, as they were <em> both </em> blind. After ending the Infinite Tsukuyomi they had been apprehended - peacefully turned themselves in, rather - by the Allied Shinobi Forces. Konohagakure accepted responsibility for their justice and punishment, and so they sat along with Sasuke in this prison cell underneath the Hokage tower, while awaiting the end of their trial. However, in exchange for their lives, Madara and Obito had to agree to forfeit their eyes. Still surprising to them both, they’d conceded to this term, and presumably the pair of rinnegan were destroyed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Deep down, a small part of Madara had been relieved at the prospect of relinquishing his dojutsu; in a way, losing his eyes lifted a weight from his shoulders. The weight of a world he had previously felt obliged to save and wholly responsible for, due in part to his immense power; but now, such a thing was simply...not his problem. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Obito on the other hand was a basket case in general, so there was no telling why he’d agreed to those terms -  beyond the opportunity to give his other sharingan to Kakashi as some weird, masochistic offering. Naruto had promised to restore their normal eyesight at some point, but that would come<em> after </em> the trial, and would also depend on its outcome. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shame. I have such a pretty face. Don’t I, Sasuke-chan?” Obito purred, batting his eyelashes at the man in question - a horrifying display of fluttering, empty eye sockets. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re as pretty as sun-dried turd, Toe,” Sasuke droned, using the rude nickname he had come up with during their first week of imprisonment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah, you could say that again,” a fourth person spoke from outside of the cage. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>All three of their heads snapped towards the sound of the new voice; it was rare to have a visitor other than the guards who brought them sustenance. Or occasionally, Sakura. Standing on the other side of the bars were two men: Iruka Umino and the newly-appointed Rokudaime Hokage, Kakashi Hatake.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke, Obito, Madara - the trial has ended,” Kakashi said. He sat down cross-legged in front of them, settling his elbows onto his knees and clasping his hands together so he could prop up his chin.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Let’s have a talk...about the future of the Uchiha clan.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>[funny screenshot I got from ep. 478]</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Bitches, we made it. Fucking finally. </p><p>You probably noticed that I skipped the Kaguya fight, lol. For now, assume that pretty much the entire fight followed canon from the point of Kaguya's resurrection through the fight at the Valley of the End. Specific details, including the Infinite Tsukuyomi fiasco, will be filled in throughout this next **actually pretty short** arc, which I'll call the recovery arc. And yes, we will get to meet the infamous, moon-bound Kaguya, and hear her side of things. In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to hijack such a pivotal moment for Naruto and Sasuke's characters. </p><p>Apologies for the NaruSasu tease. I fully acknowledge their feelings, but 'tis not the way of this fic-world. Maybe if things had gone differently... :)))</p><p>Oh, and Aratashiki isn't dead or anything, lol. The same thing happened to her when she used this ability in chapter 2, but it only lasted a few hours that time. Hmm.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Side Stories: Kara, Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>6/28/20 see end of chapter for brief but important update! &lt;3</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a subplot that I should have introduced waaaaaay earlier. In the rewrite, I have actually done this(it starts in chapter 6, lol). Apologies. So, here in this story I'm just going to present it as a side story - kind of like an Omake. This isn't filler, though, and is actually important to the main plot for several reasons. One big one being that it ties into Aratashiki's past...eventually. I hope you enjoy this new character who isn't exactly an OC but has an original background. You'll see. If you've read the Boruto manga, feel free to speculate about who they might become.  On that note, I highly encourage reading chapters 45 and 46 of Boruto - they give us some great info on the Otsutsuki, Karma, and Isshiki/Jigen. I'm going to cover it all in the story anyways, but if you're itching to know then definitely go read. </p><p>(I should probably remind you now that Aratashiki knows about Karma, but doesn't actually know how to use it or any of the technical details. It wasn't taught to her. In a way, she's a bit of an unreliable source about certain things.)</p><p>Fun canon-fact: Jigen is hundreds of years old, was a young man when Kaguya arrived on Earth, and hasn't aged a day since.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em><strong>“Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn't change the heart of others-- it only changes yours.”<br/></strong></em>― <span class="authorOrTitle">Shannon Alder</span></p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Side Stories: Kara - Part One</span> </strong>
</p><p>
  <b>February 26th, 68 years before the Present -  Land of Whirlpools</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Sunlight trickled in through the slats of the bamboo curtain hanging over the window, giving the small bedroom just enough of an early morning glow to rouse Michi from his peaceful slumber. He sat upright and stretched his stiff muscles, taking in precisely six deep breaths to clear his mind before getting out of bed, as was ritual for the man. After brushing his tousled hair and pulling it into a secure bun, he got dressed for the day and made his way to the kitchen. Michi prepared a pot of green tea and seated himself on a worn cushion on the front porch of his home, enjoying the warmth of the herbal drink as he re-read the letter his sister had sent him the day before. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <hr/>
  <p>
    <em> Dearest Michi, </em>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>
    <em> Oh, how I wish greater with each passing day that you could see Konohagakure. The people here have been so welcoming; at first I feared that remaining resentments between the shinobi clans would create an air of disquietude among the populace, but instead the people are rife with joy and hope for the future. Children play unsupervised in the streets, creating a ruckus of amusement with their games of cat and mouse, their laughter like a song to ease the tensions of those going about their day. Not unlike the children of our own home, except here they are truly free! They are not so bound by the secrecy and ritual of clan life - it is a magnificent environment, and I find myself wanting for babes of my own. But enough of my attempts to convince you of your wrongness in not immigrating with me. That is not the real purpose of my correspondence.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> I apologize for not mentioning the matter sooner, but in the months since my settlement here in Konoha I have met someone; a fine man - the village leader, in fact, though that is far from his greatest quality. Yes, I am just certain you would adore him and cannot wait for you both to meet! And, you should soon have the opportunity to do so - we are to be married next month, on the twenty-fifth of March. For your sake, I convinced him to set the date after, instead of on, the day of the equinox; I know that you are required to participate in the temple ceremony then. So, I do hope you are able to attend, for I think that if my baby brother were not present I should weep with sorrow rather than joy during the union. And perhaps from anxiety as well! My future brother-in-law can be a bit much at times - my patience has never been so tested as when I am subject to his scrutinizing gaze, or witness to the nonsensical arguments shared between him and my betrothed. In truth, I don’t know the brother-in-law half as well as I should like, and I like him less than half as well as he deserves. This is not to mention that Madara Uchiha, either….anyhow, I’m sure you will find both the occasion and the company to be thrilling.  </em>
  </p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>
    <em> With love, </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Mito ~ </em>
  </p>
  <hr/>
</blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p>Much like his elder sister, Michi Uzumaki had a calm, composed personality and a great affinity for clan fuinjutsu; this is a large part of the reason he was chosen to be one of the Onmyōji - an ordained temple sentry - at the Uzushio shrine. The sentries were tasked with guarding and maintaining the room in which their sacred masks were stored, in order to prevent meddling from unordained individuals. They were also responsible for divination rituals - and thus participated in the rituals performed during a solstice or equinox - and possessed the ability to control a subset of the mask entities after being initiated and taught how to do so. Because of this, Onmyouji were some of the few clan members privy to the true functions of the masks, with individual sentries having control over a different pair of entities and the corresponding knowledge. The masks were split among sentries for security reasons, as having many individuals aware of every single secret would be a liability.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a gentle sigh of concern for the inevitable flaring of Mito’s temper, Michi returned the scroll to the pocket within his Yukata, put away the kettle and his dishes, and set off in the direction of the shrine to begin the day’s work. It was a short journey through the village to reach the shrine, but one that still allotted enough time to admire quiet activity going on around him. Due to the early hour in which Michi departed from his dwelling, often only those more ambitious among his garden-enthused neighbors were out doing work. The effort they put in was well-rewarded, though, and the streets exploded with vibrant, sweet-smelling blossoms each spring. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Michi tried to clear his mind as he approached the temple grounds, so as not to have his performance ruined by a foul mood. During his initiation, Michi had been assigned to two of the most sacred of the masks: the mask of the Shinigami, and the mask of a Shikigami named Kodama. The Shikigami’s mask in particular was of a high-priority, so much so that even Michi was kept in the dark regarding the complete truth of its abilities. All he knew was that it controlled a spirit that guarded one of the ancient Uzumaki shrines, located on an uninhabited island east of their own. The entire island was hidden by a seal making it imperceptible to anyone who was a non-Uzumaki; or if they were, who did not know to look for it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>After making his way through the quiet limestone hallways of the shrine, Michi reached the inner sanctum and began the task of lighting the eighteen lanterns that hung in a ring over the casting circle in the center of the room. There was one lantern for each of the ten gainen of legend, coming together to create the <em> Togashira </em> - Keter, Wisdom, Understanding, Judgement, Chessed, Majesty, Endurance, Yesod, and Malkuth - as well as one lantern for the spirits of the North, South, East, and West. The final four lanterns were for the Clan’s Kami - Izanagi, Izanami, Kushinadahime, and Toshigami. </p><p> </p><p>Once the lanterns were lit, Michi entered a chamber behind the sanctum, where the masks were kept. His eyes raked over their frozen faces, scanning for any details that seemed amiss. The masks were nearly identical save for a few subtle defining features, so it took a well-trained eye and strong sensory capabilities to detect any movement or changes that might have been made to them. When he found nothing out of the ordinary after his twentieth pass-over, Michi went about sweeping the floors and smudging the chambers, letting his mind wonder while he worked. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Michi was already dreading the impending occasion of Mito’s wedding, and it was still near a month away.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>March 25th - Konohagakure</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The day of Mito Uzumaki and Hashirama Senju’s union held a fine temperament; the afternoon sun was bright, the sky dappled by a smattering of clouds the texture of cotton, and a cool breeze wound throughout the forest, providing much-appreciated relief from the rather warm clothing worn by those in attendance. It was a small ceremony witnessed only by the couple’s closest relatives and friends, and was held in a secluded area of the bank of the Naka river that wound through the village hidden among the leaves; a riverbank of great importance to Hashirama, as it was the very spot upon which he had first met Madara when they were children. To Hashirama, this place on the Naka river symbolized the starting point from which of all of the best things that had happened throughout his life would unfold: the foundation of his most treasured friendship, the birthplace of a shared dream for peace, the realization of said aspiration, and now, the beginning of the family he would create alongside the love of his life - whom he had met thanks to the aforementioned happenings. </p><p> </p><p>As a testament to their compatibility, Hashirama and Mito chose to combine the customs of their respective clans into an intimate ceremony that was uniquely their own. For the attire, they stuck to traditional Shinto dress that was customary for that time period, save for a few accessories Mito omitted due to personal tastes. Their private guests consisted of five men - Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Sasuke Sarutobi, Ashina Uzumaki, and Michi Uzumaki - and only two women, Kameko Sarutobi - married to Sasuke - and Touka Senju, who had both become close friends with Mito. The men, including Hashirama, wore mon-tsuki haori hakamas; these consist of a traditional formal kimono known as a mon-tsuki that is adorned in family crests, or kamon, with a pair of hakama trousers, and a haori overcoat, all lacking in color. To distinguish the groom from the guests, the fabric of his hakama trousers is of a pin-striped pattern. Similarly, the women wore kimonos of subdued-color and understated print that only covered a portion of the skirt. Kameko, being a married woman, dressed in a black Tomesode with five kamon on the chest, sleeves and shoulder, and a skirt pattern depicting an ancient tortoise resting between the peaks of a valley. Touka, who was not married, wore an Irotomesode made of expensive olive-green silk, also with five kamon on the chest, and an embroidered pattern of cranes and cherry blossoms on the skirt hem.</p><p> </p><p>While the guests and groom were exceptionally handsome that day, Mito Uzumaki herself was the true spectacle of the ceremony. Her dress was a cream-colored Furisode kimono lined in a vivid scarlet hue that matched their clan’s signature fire-red hair, which was styled into an elegant up-do held in place by their late mother’s camellia-shaped kanzashi hair pins. She wore a collection of kanzashi that belonged to Hashirama’s family as well, which had been passed down among the women of each generation after his great-grandmother. Also belonging to Mito’s late-mother was the maru obi tied around her waist and cascading down her back, decorated by the indigo, white, and azure scene of several the intricately swirling, deadly waves of the sea of whirlpools. Yet even more beautiful than any piece of Mito’s ensemble was the radiant smile bound to her lips and the glow of her joyful aura as she stood before the priest, facing her lover.</p><p> </p><p>The ‘priest’ - who just so happened to be Ashina, the Uzumaki Clan head - and a shrine maiden from the Senju clan guided the couple through the shinto wedding ritual of <em> san-san-ku-do </em> , or "three-three-nine-times," reflecting three oaths taken three times, represented by three cups, poured three times with sake, and swallowed in three sips. It represents man, woman and child, or heaven, earth and man, and the sharing of joys and sorrows as a married couple. After this, Mito and Hashirama knelt before an altar covered with fresh fruits and flowers as offerings to the fated divine coupling of <em>Izanagi-no-omei</em> and <em>Izanami-nozomu</em>. They recited their vows to one another, and then the guests joined the pair in the drinking of sake before partaking in a group cheer of “Kampai!”. Then Ashina placed cuttings from a sakaki evergreen tree on top of the altar, thanking the spirits and kami watching over and blessing the ceremony. </p><p> </p><p>Approaching the end of the ceremony, the shrine maiden placed beaded-threads on both the bride and groom’s heads that were sanctified during the ceremony, and a sacred red paste made from vermilion and ash was applied to the foreheads of both the bride and the groom as a tilaka marking. </p><p> </p><p>Michi could not help but wince when the shrine maiden covered the Yin seal on Mito’s forehead, plagued by a fresh bout of cynicism regarding the clan affairs and what he symbolically perceived as the extortion of his elder sister, his parents, and his future nieces and nephews at the hands of the Senju. </p><p> </p><p>Finally, Ashina produced a tray of six candles that Mito and Hashirama lit together, symbolizing the unity of their clans. As a group, everyone recited a prepared hymn to conclude the wedding ritual: </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p><em> “ </em> <em> Thus have I heard it said: </em></p>
  <p>
    <em> Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, and faithfulness the best relationship.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow; our life is the creation of our mind.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow, and happiness lies ahead.” </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>Michi glanced around at the other guests while they cantillated the closing scriptures, amused by the look on the infamous Madara Uchiha’s face as he mumbled bits and pieces of the rites. Madara, the unfortunate man who - to Michi - reeked of misery, acted as if the mere formation of syllables belonging to such positive words was some brutal, inhumane torture being exacted upon him. He shared in this sentiment to an extent, but Michi was nowhere near Madara in his extreme nihilism - not yet. </p><p> </p><p>The prospect of witnessing such an individual in a drunken state gave Michi something to actually look forward to during the reception, which they were now preparing to depart for. Before they left the riverbank, Mito wrapped her brother in a tearful embrace while burying her face into his shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>“Chichi, thank you for coming. I’ve missed you very much,” she said, evidently not caring if she ruined her hair or makeup - a rare display of indifference, for Mito. </p><p> </p><p>Unraveling her arms from around his waist, Michi stood her upright in front of him, clasping her hands together and covering them with his own. </p><p> </p><p>“I missed you too, aneki,” he said, using his thumb to catch the tear straying down her cheek. “I wish mother could be here. You look just like her.” </p><p> </p><p>Mito smiled, tapping their hands against the center of Michi’s chest. “Mother is here-” she paused, moving their hands backwards to rest against her own heart- “and here. Forever, within each of us. Do not weep for her absence; celebrate her spirit, knowing she is at peace.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hm.” He shifted uncomfortably, not risking further response lest he impede upon her ebullience. Mother and father may be at peace, he thought, but it shouldn’t have come at the cost of his own inner peace. </p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, Michi was rescued from his tongue-restraining predicament by none other than his new brother-in-law Tobirama, who was impatiently ushering the guests to start moving along. The reception was being held in the center of the village, and Hashirama had insisted upon inviting <em> the entire village population </em>. Undoubtedly, Tobirama was delegated the task of organizing this function, the stress of which had the man on the brink of a hysterical fit. For once Tobirama understood the appeal of drinking oneself stupid on sake as his elder brother often did; though in his mind, Hashirama had a jump-start on the stupidity aspect. </p><p> </p><p>The only requirement set for those who wished to join in on the festivities was that they too received a tilaka marking as a welcome and an expression of both honor and gratitude for their participation. After that, they were free to join the masses of inebriated shinobi and civilians. The ‘guests of honor’, or those who had attended the private ceremony, were reserved seats in a small dining area set up inside of the Shodai Hokage’s brand-new tower. Hashirama had built it himself using his wood-style jutsu, but in reality it was Tobirama’s genius behind the unique cylindrical architecture, a matter that the two had already argued about twice since arriving at the reception. As soon as the sake began to flow, however, the tension between the two brothers faded, and Tobirama even managed to find room between the sticks in his ass for a few extra drinks.</p><p> </p><p>They were served a dinner of, well, a smorgasbord. Among the various dishes provided were Hashirama’s favorite mixed mushroom soup, Mito’s unusual ‘creation’ of kimchi and scallop okonomiyaki, trout kabayaki prepared with fresh-caught fish from the Naka river, and enough rice to feed the Akimichi clan for an entire day. Which was a <em> lot </em> of rice. Also available was the simple fried-tofu and sushi rice dish <em> inarizushi </em>, which is Madara Uchiha’s favorite and thus present at the table in an effort to keep the man content. This strategy would be tested, however, once Hashirama became drunk enough to start ragging on his old pal. Michi, who was seated between Mito and Touka Senju, heard the latter kunoichi mutter a prayer under her breath before the inebriated Hokage opened his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>Hashirama leaned over in his chair, completely invading Madara’s personal space - even though he was sitting less than a foot away - in order to whisper in his ear. Unfortunately, what Hashirama thought was a whisper ended up being louder than his normal speech volume. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re up next ‘dara…and the clock is ticking, so I must tell you friendly in your ear: sell when you can - you are not for all markets.” </p><p> </p><p>Touka choked on her sake beside Michi, who was staring wide-eyed at the Hokage, unable to fathom what kind of fool he must be to say something so brazenly insulting. Madara’s irises were red and swirling with tomoe as he furiously gripped his cup of sake; Michi waited with baited breath for some level of violence to erupt, but the others around the table seemed entirely unfazed. Unknown to him, this was normal behavior for those two and nowhere near the point of physical escalation. Instead of razing the village, Madara took a bite out of his inarizushi and spoke to Tobirama without looking at him. </p><p> </p><p>“Senju. Fetch the shochu.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.” Tobirama immediately stood up and began to leave. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll get the Umeboshi,” Touka said, hurrying out of the room as well. </p><p> </p><p>The group dynamic was unusual to say the least, and Michi had a feeling it was about to get even weirder. Mito, privy to his unease, threw him a look as if to say ‘just go with it’. He wondered what on earth she had gotten herself involved in by entering this marriage. At least Michi could soon ease his pain with the addicting, bitter-plum taste of an Umeboshi sour.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Madara, don’t be so sensitive-” Hashirama began to say, before being cut off.</p><p> </p><p>“Do. Not. Speak. To. Me. Not until I have had my drink, <em> Hashirama </em>,” Madara said, all but hissing at the man. </p><p> </p><p>Hashirama slumped in his chair - crestfallen and pouting - and the two absent Senju reappeared while Mito quietly commanded Hashirama to pull himself together. Tobirama returned with not one, but four unopened bottles of shochu, which were passed around the group in haste along with a jar of umeboshi paste to mix into the liquor. Madara skipped the plum and downed an entire cup of shochu in one go. He repeated this process twice before relinquishing the empty cup in his hand to the tabletop. Leaning back in his chair, Madara allowed his eyes to fall closed for a brief moment, and then turned to look at Hashirama. </p><p> </p><p>“Speak, maggot,” he said. Madara’s cheeks were already starting to flush - a jarring sight to reconcile with the Uchiha’s reputation - as the consequences of his gluttonous thirst quickly took effect.</p><p>The Hokage perked up again. “Well, I was just saying, it's about time you settled down. Tobirama, too. Ehhh? Whaddaya say, boys?”</p><p> </p><p>“Brother, your wife isn’t half as lucky as you are,” Tobirama said. </p><p> </p><p>“Now, that I can agree with.” Michi muttered his sentiments, earning himself a half-hearted slap on the arm by his sister. </p><p> </p><p>“Hashirama,” Madara said, flipping his bangs out of his eyes, “who would you have me court? I doubt any woman could meet my standards, while also putting up with my…ah...”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Insufferable personality, lack of emotional control, violent tendencies, and superiority complex?” Tobirama suggested, filling in the blanks for him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A rather harsh way to put it, but yes, I suppose I do have a slight tendency to be critical.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You could have courted that Hyuga woman I set you up with, Madara, but what did you do instead? Hmm?” Hashirama asked, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Touka, Mito, and Kameko were trying to suppress their laughter with mouthfuls of shochu. Ashina and Sasuke, in their infinite wisdom, decided then that it was the perfect opportunity to take their leave and go visit with the other clan heads - far away from the drunken rivals. Michi didn’t know anyone in the village, and was not yet inebriated enough to brave the unknown, so he remained in his seat to watch the spectacle. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I have no idea what you mean. All I did was take her on a date, like you asked,” Madara said, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest. His face was thoroughly pink by that point. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh, but wasn’t it you who took her on a walk through the forest?” Hashirama asked. When Madara pretended not to listen, he continued. “And used your Katon to light a fire when she shivered from the cold?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“See,” Madara said, sitting up to pour another drink, “I’m a perfect gentleman.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And the Katon started a forest fire that burned down a third of the Hyuga’s brand new compound?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No one died. Those Hyuga are too materialistic, that’s all.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And then, as a last ditch effort to win her over you told her that, if married to you, she could join the collection of preserved eyeballs to be passed on to your offspring?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A very prestigious honor, so don’t act like that isn’t romantic, Hashirama. Women dream of growing old and senile together, do they not?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>At the end of Hashirama’s retelling the women were in hysterics, and Mito in particular was inconsolable. Michi, thanks in large part to the alcohol tainting his blood, found himself beginning to laugh as well - though to a much lesser degree than those around him. Part of the comedy, for him, was lost to Madara’s supposed display of such utter incompetence. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, do you realize what a headache your insolence caused me? If someone had gotten hurt there could have been a rebellion!” Hashirama exclaimed, throwing his head back dramatically and gingerly resting his palm against his forehead as if he was feeling faint.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Brother, all you did was stutter about like a bumbling fool while <em> I </em> sorted out the situation with the Hyuga clan leaders,” Tobirama said. “Uchiha, I should’ve sent you a bill for all of my time that you wasted - in <em> addition </em> to the restoration invoice.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“God, how many times do I need to apologize for this?” Madara asked, exasperated. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Once would be enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Madara contemplated the suggestion for a moment before downing another cup of shochu. His drinking was so severe, Michi wondered if the man was trying to kill himself. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No.” Madara closed his eyes after giving his verdict, so that he could ignore the nasty glares from the others. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The atmosphere in the room had shifted, and not in a positive direction. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I don’t understand, Madara - why you are like this, why you self sabotage,” Hashirama said, overcome with alcohol-fueled emotions, “we finally have our chance! We can be happy, we-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“NO!” Madara roared, flying out of his seat with enough force that his chair broke into pieces upon hitting the wall behind him. “<em> WE </em> don’t, Hashirama, because Izuna is still dead. It is too little too late. There is no <em> we </em> for me, and that is almost entirely my own fault.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, please sit down and talk to me about this, if you continue to isolate yourself from others it will drive you insane-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Just let it go, Hashirama. I apologize for disrupting your evening, Mito-sama. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to vomit.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hashirama stood up to follow Madara out of the building, but Mito grabbed his arm to stop him, a silent conversation passing between their eyes before he relented and sat back down. Mito then shot a look towards the others, who nodded and began to stand up and leave as well. Much to Michi’s surprise even Tobirama gave in, leaving with Touka and Kameko in order to allow the newlyweds a moment of privacy. Michi’s elder sister turned to him then, taking a hold of his hand and giving it an apologetic squeeze. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Chichi, I’m sorry that you had to witness that. I’m going to stay with Hashirama until he calms down; you should go and enjoy the festivities with the others.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t apologize, Aneki. It is foolish to think that such conflicts between these men have any regards for you. Watch out for yourself, because they will not,” Michi said, sounding much colder than he’d intended to. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His sister stared at him, a mixture of hurt and anger swirling within her dark irises. “Why would you say such a thing?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Rising to his feet, Michi turned his back against his sister, refusing to look at her. “Do not forget where you come from, nor the woman whose Obi is wrapped around your waist. We are a means to an end. You will always come second to their ego, Mito.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Michi’s hands shook as he stepped out into the cold night air, and the resentment that had been growing like a weed in his heart ever since their parent’s deaths threatened to take control of him completely. He did not know how Mito did it, how she was able to forgive and look past the truths that were so obvious to him. Making his way to a less-populated section of the pavilion, Michi leaned against the wall of a building and tried to distract himself by people-watching. It didn’t take long for him to zone out, but the mental haze was soon interrupted by a stranger who’d sidled up next to him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I take it you’re not from around here either,” the man said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Glancing over at the stranger, Michi nodded. “Nope. Just here to attend the wedding. The bride is my sister. You?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His head and the lower half of his face were covered by a cloth Sōhei cowl - indicative of a warrior monk - but Michi noticed the man’s near-completely black eyes flash in surprise before he answered. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“A traveling monk. I happened to pass through at the perfect time, it seems.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sure, if you enjoy these kinds of things. Though I wouldn’t expect a warrior monk to be a party-goer.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah, you’ve caught me out,” the man laughed. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Perhaps you can entertain me with stories of your travels, then. Uzumaki Michi, by the way,” he said with a short bow of his head. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The man smiled. “Jigen. A pleasure to meet you - shall we find someplace quiet to converse?”</p><p> </p><hr/><p><em>Kurama-Hime</em>, portrait by me.</p><p>
  
</p><p>More info on Tomesode if you're interested: <a href="https://cafe-kimono.com/en/about-tomesode-the-ranks-formal-kimono-best-way-to-wear/">link</a></p><hr/><p><span><strong>6/28/20 IMPORTANT NOTICE:</strong></span> the next chapter is almost ready. It is extremely dark and contains graphic medical/wound descriptions and internal psychological descriptions that you might find disturbing. It is intentionally as raw and realistic as possible, in every aspect - from the incident itself to the character reactions. You can thank Real Life Experience(TM) for that. I've updated the tags accordingly, but I'm outlining all of the warnings here for you now. It'll spoil a bit, but that can't be helped:</p><p>1. There is <strong>NO CHARACTER DEATH</strong>, so that at least is a light at the end of the tunnel.</p><p>2. Unplanned(by the individual), violent suicide attempt. There isn't very <em>much</em> graphic detail of the physical action itself/the resulting injuries, because I don't even have the stomach for that, but there is enough to potentially upset someone. It's one of those situations where there just isn't a less-awful way to put it, if that makes sense. Kind of like how you can't make 'cancer' (as a disease of course) sound any better - can't really tone it down more than that without losing the entire meaning.</p><p>3. More so than the literal attempt, there is pretty intense suicidal ideation/thought descriptions leading up to it. It is very real in the sense of how such an experience can occur in the real world - one moment things are normal, and the next moment your entire world is shattering for seemingly no reason. If you have/do struggle with mental illness it could potentially be triggering and could bring up memories of past thoughts or experiences. This is of course all filtered by my own experiences, and different people experience the same things in very different ways; it might be relatable, or it might be completely contrary to your own experiences. Regardless, this is the official warning, so take care of yourselves.</p><p>4. Mild hallucinations/psychotic symptoms are described, including dissociation. Not sure if this is a trigger for other people who experience psychosis(it isn't for me personally) but just in case.</p><p> </p><p>It might seem like I'm going overboard with trigger warnings, and maybe I am, but I don't give a single hoot. Nor a toot. Because my goal isn't to upset anyone's emotional stability, but rather to provide more realistic characters via similarly realistic character development. Example of stupid character development: you and your crush bonding over your cousin's death and having a romantic moment next to his dead body. yeah Kishimoto I'm @ ing you.</p><p> </p><p>I think that covers it. Prepare for angst.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Listen Before I Go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you missed them, please go back to the previous chapter notes and read the trigger warnings for these next two chapters. Seriously. </p><p>If you are ever feeling the things described in this chapter, please reach out. I never believed that things would get better but I promise you that they do. Reach. Out. People care. I care, message me if you want. Idk if we have to talk in pms or emails or some shit, anyone reading this(or not) is far more important than a mild technological inconvenience. Be excellent to eachother.</p><p>DISCLAIMER: I have made no attempts to romanticize anything in this chapter, or in the next. Grief is not tragically beautiful. Traumatic stress is not always boisterous and melodramatic, and is often insidious. Suicide is not glamorous. It is horrific, and agonizing, and downright disturbing, and is not a point you ever want to reach. There are no intense or violent enough words to describe the amount of pain it takes to break in this way.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <b> <em>Nobody watched me before, now I am watched.   </em> </b>
  </p>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p>
      <b> <em>The tulips turn to me, and the window behind me</em> </b>
    </p>
    <p>
      <b> <em>Where once a day the light slowly widens and slowly thins,   </em> </b>
    </p>
    <p>
      <b> <em>And I see myself, flat, ridiculous, a cut-paper shadow   </em> </b>
    </p>
    <p>
      <b> <em>Between the eye of the sun and the eyes of the tulips,   </em> </b>
    </p>
    <p>
      <b> <em>And I have no face, I have wanted to efface myself.   </em> </b>
    </p>
    <p>
      <b> <em>The vivid tulips eat my oxygen.</em> </b>
    </p>
  </div>
</blockquote><div>
  <p>- excerpt from "Tulips", a poem by Sylvia Plath</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 21: Listen Before I Go </b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>September 1st - Konohagakure</b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sighing, Sakura set down the clipboard she was holding and leaned back in her mesh desk-chair, rubbing the sides of her face. She’d gotten back the test results the previous evening, and had poured over them all night instead of sleeping. After cross-referencing the information with every medical journal she could access, Sakura still had no idea what to make of what they found; if she hadn’t been stressed enough <em> before </em> this mystery was thrown into her lap, Sakura certainly was now. With Sasuke’s trial, Naruto’s recovery, the project she was working on with Ino, and this new variable, her anxiety was nearing critical mass - a fact evidenced by the increased frequency of her migraines over the past several weeks. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was already nearing eight in the morning. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Dammit, I was supposed to check on her at seven,” she muttered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Stretching her sore neck and back as she stood up, Sakura made a mental note to try and find herself a chair that wouldn’t contribute to the disproportionate aging of her spine. After grabbing the dreaded chart off of her desk, Sakura left her office and hurried towards her destination. The halls were silent save for the quiet beeping of the various machines and monitors in each of the occupied rooms, and the occasional sneeze or cough; the fluorescent lights were almost too bright for her tired eyes as they reflected off of the linoleum flooring. Usually, Sakura welcomed the bland and sterile environment of the hospital, but on this particular day she wished for nothing more than a hint of color and warmth to soothe her weary mind. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Upon reaching the room, she pushed open the light-weight wooden door - perhaps a bit too enthusiastically - and frightened Neji, who was sitting in a small chair on the far wall and staring out the window, as per usual. A familiar group of sparrows had been perched on a section of the rooftop visible through the small pane of glass, and the birds seemingly startled in tune with the young man as they took flight and disappeared from his area of view. Neji jumped to his feet in an obvious effort to play off his nervous reaction and whirled on her, mild panic flashing in his eyes before he realized it was only Sakura. It was fitting, Sakura thought to herself, that the diligent Neji Hyuga should like to watch the sparrows flutter about, and she wondered if it was something he ever did intentionally.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah, sorry Neji. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It’s alright. I was a bit spaced-out.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hiding the small, amused smile on her lips, Sakura walked over to the bedside and peered down at Aratashiki, who was sleeping peacefully. Just as she had been for the past thirty-three days. Some kind of coma had gripped the woman, but unlike her standard comatose patients Ara didn’t experience muscle atrophy or decreased brain activity, and most importantly, there was no tangible evidence of any interference between the brainstem and cerebrum. Typically, a coma was caused by the shutdown of the reticular activating system(RAS) - that controls brain signals and consciousness - as a result of the RAS cells losing blood flow or oxygen, such as from a stroke or traumatic brain injury. This was not the case for Ara; there was clearly something interfering with her brain activity, but said thing was invisible and would be undetectable if not for having the blatant effect of inducing a comatose-like state. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In short, Aratashiki was perfectly healthy, and had been since arriving at the hospital; she just wasn’t awake. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’ve noticed those sparrows seem to follow you around. Crowned, I assume?” Sakura asked, beginning to check her vitals anyways, as was routine, and trying to keep the mood light.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji hummed in agreeance, impressed by her correct identification of the subspecies. “Golden-crowned, yes. I didn’t know you were versed in ornithology.”  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Oh, not at all. I know the local species, but only because I spent far too much time scrubbing their shit off of the sidewalk entrance and benches during my ‘training’.” Sakura laughed softly before strapping the cuff of a sphygmomanometer to Ara’s bicep, so she could measure her blood pressure. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well, sparrows <em> can </em> signify hard-work, though I don’t imagine the intention is for them to be the <em> cause </em> of said work,” Neji replied, a hint of amusement present in his tone. “On a somewhat related note, there has been a rather large owl perched outside of the window at night.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Remaining quiet for a moment before answering, Sakura counted the korotkoff sounds - quiet taps or knocks given off by the instrument - and recorded Ara’s systolic and diastolic readings once they stopped. 120/80mmhg. Perfect, as she expected.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That’s odd. I didn’t think we had any large owl species in this region,” Sakura said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“We don’t.” Neji frowned, bothered by something. “I believe it is a snowy owl. A little over a meter tall, too - more than double the known size for the creatures, simply unnatural. It just....sits there on the roof, and stares into the window.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His description held a rather unsettling undertone. “Hmm. It could just be a stray summoning animal. Look at it as a sign of her endurance - and our patience,” Sakura suggested. “You could say he’s undergoing a healing transformation, and-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sighting an owl can also be an omen of death,” he interrupted. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Aye, there’s the rub, Sakura thought. It wasn’t impossible that the supposed ‘omen’ was for some other person; she didn’t want to dwell on it, though. How unfortunate that she would soon have to give him the news she did have. However, an extra moment of procrastination couldn’t hurt too much.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“So, did Hinata stay here last night? Has she seen the owl as well?” she asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes. She left earlier to accompany Naruto to his physical therapy appointment,” Neji replied, moving to stand on the other side of the hospital bed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He gave no indication as to whether or not the yes was in answer to her second question as well, but Sakura decided against pressing the matter. “Ah. You know, it’s really sweet of you to visit her so often.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji brought a hand up to scratch his forehead, conveniently obscuring the hint of red tinging his cheeks; they both knew exactly what she was doing, and he was easy to tease. Sakura couldn’t say for sure what kind of feelings existed between Neji and Aratashiki, since the latter never discussed the topic with her or any of the other girls, but it was obvious that they cared for each other.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m just continuing my assignment from the Hokage. From before the war.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Right,” Sakura said, smiling. “Anyways, she’s still in good health. Nothing has changed in that regard.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Trailing off, Sakura glanced at the clipboard sitting on the side table. It was time to begrudgingly turn his frown down-side down, assuming it was even possible for the expression to worsen.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“There’s something else?” Neji asked, narrowing his eyes. He could see right through the pinkette, who wasn’t known for her poker faces. Like her mentor, Sakura was coincidentally awful at gambling as well; only in her case, it was due to her too-honest expressions and not bad luck. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I had some of her blood sent to a lab belonging to a colleague - Katasuke Tōno, though I doubt you’ve met him. He’s one of our tokubetsu jonin.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I see, I haven’t heard of him. What did he find?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Well, I noticed during the fight against the Juubi that Ara was burning through chakra at an alarming rate.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“To be fair, she was using abilities that required immense amounts of energy.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes, you are correct. However, when I was helping regenerate chakra I noticed something odd. It was like...after a certain point, her body stopped storing additional chakra.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a frown so severe that his mouth might’ve risked falling clean off of his face, Neji glanced down at Ara’s sleeping form. “What do you mean?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Her chakra reserves are massive. Incomprehensible, even, because I can’t quantify them yet - not without seeing the upper limit. And I do know that they haven’t fully recovered, even now. Think of it like filling up a pot with water, but halfway up the sides there is a hole - the pot never fills up past where the hole is, because the water starts to leak out.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“She isn’t emitting any chakra, though, so where would it all be going?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>With a concerned sigh, Sakura reached for her clipboard to read over Katasuke’s report once again. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That’s the mystery. According to the lab’s findings, they think it’s some type of virus or parasite, maybe a cross between the two. They found something in her blood cells resembling a retro-virus. The prevailing theory is that the virus is inhibiting the synthesis of new chakra - not completely, but by a significant amount. Additionally, it seems to be consuming whatever chakra her cells do manage to synthesize. The end result is this stagnation we’re seeing.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Retroviruses are distinct from other viruses due to the way they replicate within an organism’s cells. They use RNA as their genetic material, and have a special enzyme called reverse transcriptase that they are named after. The virus operates by fusing with a target cell’s membrane so it can enter into the cell body. Then, it uses the reverse transcriptase enzyme to turn its RNA into DNA, thus making it compatible with the host’s genome. Next, the viral DNA is injected into the cell nucleus, where it uses a different enzyme called integrase to insert the viral DNA into the host’s DNA. It takes over the host cell and uses its facilities to create new viral particles that will go and infect additional cells. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Looking up at Neji, Sakura saw that he had activated his byakugan and was examining her chakra pathways for himself. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see at that level.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“How strange. Is this a known disease? Could it be infectious?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura shook her head. “No, I’ve never seen anything like it mentioned in our records. It isn’t infectious either, because the viral bodies became defunct as soon as they were extracted from her blood cells, and did not react to any other blood or tissue samples thereafter. It might not even be a disease, in fact; the strangest part are the viral bodies themselves - while they do contain and utilize the reverse transcriptase enzyme, they themselves aren’t made of organic material, and they don’t replicate. Unlike how a living virus would.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji just stared at her, unsure of what that all meant. “So then...what is it?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Whatever it is, it was engineered by someone. Something like this isn’t even possible with our current knowledge, as far as I know, but the ‘virus’ is some kind of technology. Since the ‘nanites’ - as Katasuke calls them - don’t replicate, thousands of them must have been injected at once, and remained in her bloodstream ever since. They do contain genetic material, but as with the enzyme, it isn’t <em> made </em> by the nanites. They are just carriers. It’s possible she has had this affliction since before she came here.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This disease behaved exactly like a retrovirus up until the replication step. It had injected DNA into Ara’s red blood cells, but rather than using the hijacked cells to produce more nanite bodies, they had taken control of the naturally occurring process of chakra synthesization. These <em> things </em> were sucking up any spiritual or physical energy absorbed by the cells and preventing them from creating chakra. The uninfected cells produced chakra normally; however, the reason Ara seemed to be hitting an artificial threshold was that whoever had created this virus programmed it to start breaking down chakra after said threshold was reached. At first it looked like it was eating the energy and chakra, but upon closer inspection Katasuke noted that the energy was simply <em> disappearing </em>. It is physically impossible to destroy energy, which meant that the virus was somehow sending it elsewhere, effectively turning her into a living battery that was powering god knows what. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Furthermore, Katasuke was unable to pinpoint the source of the nanites within her body. As in, where they were entering the bloodstream in the first place, because while they were definitely not <em> replicating </em>, additional nanites were still coming from somewhere. Otherwise, her kidneys would have naturally filtered them out once the infected red blood cells died. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The entire mechanism was baffling, to say the least.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Fortunately, it wouldn’t pose any real threat to Ara as long as she wasn’t fighting a battle of the same scale as the previous one. But if there <em> was </em> another situation like that, then-</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“She definitely was not ill before she arrived here,” Neji stated matter-of-factly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What makes you say that, Neji?” she asked, curious about his apparent confidence in this knowledge. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I examined her chakra network when we found her in the woods, and it was far greater than this - than the supposed ‘artificial limit.’ And, I admit that I don’t entirely understand virology, but she has died once while living here. On her first day in the village - she bled to death after Kakashi struck her with his chidori-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kakashi did <em>WHAT?</em>”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Neji took a tentative step backwards, glancing back and forth between Sakura’s impossibly red face and steaming ears, and her clenched fist that was choking the life out of the hand-rail on the side of the hospital bed. The metal creaked, bending beneath her forceful grip before finally breaking off with a loud snap, sending several loose screws scattering across the tiled floor. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And I’m <em> just now </em> hearing of this? No one thought to <em> tell her doctor about this serious medical event </em> , about the fact that she <em> fucking died? </em>”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura was abruptly pulled from her confused, homicidal rage by the sound of someone rapping on the door. It seemed that luck was favoring Neji that day, and for a short time being, Kakashi. Turning around with a scowl still plastered to her face, Sakura saw the familiar figures of Naruto and Hinata entering the room. The former had an excited look on his face, blue eyes sparkling as he walked towards Sakura and Neji. Hinata, who was <em> not </em> oblivious to Sakura’s foul mood and dangerous energy, stayed in the doorway and glared at Neji under the assumption that he was the cause of the medic’s temper.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sakura-chan, Kakashi sent for us. The trial is over, they’re gonna release Sasuke!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Despite the flame of fury being rekindled by the mention of her sensei, the nervous anticipation brought forth by the latter half of Naruto’s announcement won out. Sakura’s face paled, and she dropped the broken hand-rail that had been clenched in her fist.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> <br/><strong>9:05 A.M.</strong></p><p> </p><p>Sasuke was relieved to finally be released from that god-forsaken cell, but at the same time he was extremely anxious, because now he had to face the real world and the consequences of his actions. They may have been pardoned due to their aid in ending the war - despite two Uchiha in particular being the <em> instigators </em> of said war - but his peers wouldn’t soon forget what had transpired. By the end of the war thirty-two thousand shinobi had lost their lives, nearly half of the entire Allied Forces. They not only had to live with the burden of that sin, but had to navigate this new lease on life as the only remaining members of the Uchiha clan, a clan which didn’t have a pristine reputation to begin with. Sasuke was having trouble processing these changes, nevermind living with them, and was not keen to find out what was left of his human side.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>If there <em> was </em> anything left, he thought.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara and Obito had been put on nine months of house arrest - which Sasuke couldn’t help think was a subtle innuendo on Kakashi’s part - that would be followed by a lifetime of parole. At least they were blind for the moment, which would make babysitting the pair less of a hassle. However, Sasuke had no idea where they were all going to live. The Uchiha district was long gone and he was too broke to afford the rent prices in the village, let alone purchase a home. More problems presented themselves with each passing moment, it seemed; all of which were issues that Kakashi failed to address during their discussion about ‘the future of the Uchiha clan’, though that wasn’t unexpected. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Problems. There were always more of them, nothing was ever truly solved, was it? He asked himself.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The three men were led out of the Hokage tower by Kakashi and Iruka, walking in a single-file line like a gaggle of toddlers, and even holding hands so that the two blind fools didn’t get lost. Well, in Sasuke’s case, only his sleeve was being held onto, since his left arm had joined the rest of the Uchiha in taking a dirt nap. Missing an arm wasn’t so bad, if he was honest. Although, using the bathroom had been a nightmare at first, especially since Obito felt personally obligated to make an announcement every time Sasuke decided to ‘commune with nature’ - one of the more polite terms Obito had used. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Stepping out into the courtyard was like trying to read Naruto’s handwriting - it was deeply unsettling, and made him squint. Once Sasuke’s eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he was greeted by the sight of the noisy ninja himself bounding over to him, with Sakura, Hinata, and Eddy - Neddy? - trailing behind at the pace of normal, sane individuals. Sasuke had been so absorbed by his worries that he almost forgot to put on his calm, cool exterior; something that was particularly difficult to do on that day. Correcting this negligent error, Sasuke tilted his chin upwards and formed what he hoped was a neutral but not dead-inside expression, while combing through his dark hair with one hand for added normalcy.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke! You...look like hell, but it's good to finally see you,” Naruto said, grinning and subtly flexing his new right-arm.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Tch. You look like an asshole. Nice arm,” Sasuke replied, gesturing towards the bandaged appendage. He cringed at the flatness and insincerity in his tone, which Sakura seemed to notice too, given the odd look that flashed across her face.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You think? Lady Tsunade has a transplant waiting for you, too, if you-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Excuse me,” Madara said, interrupting the two men and turning his blind-folded face - done to hide his gaping eye sockets, not his gaze - towards Kakashi. “Uzumaki, I believe you owe me a set of eyeballs. Not to be rude, but Sasuke still has one arm, whereas I have zero eyes, so I feel that my transplant should be of a higher priority.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi sighed. “Thank you for your input, Madara, but I’m not the one you should be asking. It wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more polite, either.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Damn it. You see, this is why I need to see!” Madara exclaimed. “Can’t even have a proper conversation.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It isn’t like you could before,” Obito muttered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto’s shoulders sagged in exasperation when he addressed the haughty Uchiha, grateful that Obito at least seemed to have a firm grasp of his ‘place’, if his uncharacteristic silence was any indication. “Listen. My offer still stands, but at the moment we really need to focus on getting you all settled in. <em> Then </em> I will address your plight-of-sight. Deal?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hmph.” Madara folded his arms over his chest and ‘looked’ towards the blonde; this time he’d missed by a narrower margin, and managed to aim his frown at the space between Naruto and Hinata. “Fine. I’ll award you a brownie point for that rhyme as well.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>During their brief exchange, Sasuke had once again zoned out and was staring listlessly at the cobbled stone covering the ground of the plaza, enraptured by the rocks, which were laid in a <em> Same Komon </em> pattern: a design of overlapping arcs resembling shark skin. This first reminded him of Suigetsu, then of Kisame Hoshigaki - Itachi’s partner - and finally of his brother, Itachi. A strange emotion settled in the pit of Sasuke’s stomach, something he couldn’t identify on its own, but felt an awful lot like melancholia. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He was granted a brief respite from the haze when Hinata boldly shoved past Naruto and grabbed his uncle by the collar. It wasn’t like Sasuke had paid much attention to or gotten to know the girl before, but he did have a distinct memory of her being unbearably meek - definitely not someone with big enough balls to physically accost Madara Uchiha, even if he <em> was </em> blinded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to say this once and only once since apparently nobody else will. You’re a felon. Your red-eyes-black-dragon bullshit is gone. You are nothing but a name, Madara, so you’d do well to remember your place and show some gratitude to the people who have not only forgiven you, but are also offering you a second chance. They spared you out of compassion, not desire - don’t forget that,” Hinata said, speaking with a quiet but terrifying fury. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The seven seeing-members of the group stared at Hinata in bewilderment, with a few nodding in agreement, including the Hokage. They still were not accustomed to the confident personality she’d displayed ever since Pain’s assault. Hinata smiled and let go of Madara’s shirt before falling back to her position next to Naruto, patting him on the arm with one hand. Sasuke was mildly concerned for his friend, who had a tendency to incur the wrath of most women. Madara stood with his mouth pressed in a thin line and did not say a single word in response to the admonishment. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well, anyways,” Kakashi finally spoke up, “I’m looking for a volunteer to shelter these three until I can arrange for more permanent accommodations.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Neji was quick to tell him that the Hyuga could not host outsiders at the time, as their spare room was already occupied. Not that anyone expected them to consider it to begin with. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’d love to have you guys crash at my place, but uh, my bedroom is my living room and there’s only one couch,” Naruto said, laughing nervously. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“It really is a shit hole,” Hinata muttered. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What?! Hinata, I thought you said it was ‘homely’,” Naruto whispered indiscreetly, frowning. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but there are two very different definitions of the word.” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sakura glanced at Kakashi before making eye-contact with Sasuke. “Um, my parents moved out a few days ago, so right now it’s just me in their townhouse. There are only three bedrooms, but if two of you don’t mind sharing a bed, then I would be happy for you to stay with me,” Sakura said, surprising everyone. “Temporarily, of course,” she added.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When neither Madara nor Obito responded, Sasuke remembered that it was his responsibility to answer the question. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Sakura,” he said, bowing his head. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You can thank me by helping out with the chores,” Sakura quipped. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She was only teasing, but Sasuke felt guilty nonetheless. Like a leech fat with blood, taking and taking and taking without offering anything in return. A parasite, a nuisance, a burden that Sakura didn’t deserve, for he had already taken too much from her. To take any more would be despicable.  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The group said their good-byes, with Naruto promising to come over for breakfast within the hour. Sakura led the three Uchihas through the bustling village that was now near-completely rebuilt, making light conversation by explaining that her parents had decided to retire in Yugakure and had left their home to her. She had plans to eventually sell the residence, but not for another year or so, until the political climate and her ‘professional life’ were sorted out. Sasuke had a mind to ask what she meant by the latter statement, but before he could she was stopping them in front of a small red door and jamming a key into its lock. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Welcome to my humble abode,” Sakura said, leading them inside.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Stepping into a living room that immediately succeeded the minuscule entryway, the three men found themselves standing inside a home that, while not lavish, clearly belonged to a very well-to-do family. The polished cherry-wood floors complemented the light, olive green wall paint, and a set of traditional but stylish lounge furniture rested on top of an area rug that was, unsurprisingly, embroidered with large cherry blossoms. A cut-out in the far wall provided a glimpse of the small kitchen outfitted with modern appliances, and an archway to the right of said kitchen that lead into a well-decorated dining area.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“My parents were wealthy merchants - well, I suppose they still are, since their retirement is only in name, not literal. They co-own a shipping company with the Owari clan. A civilian clan, so you probably haven’t heard of them. It operates out of Minato-ku, the only port in the Land of Fire. Though I suspect that will change soon,” Sakura explained, sensing the bemusement of her guests.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I see,” Sasuke said. Somehow the flat effect had gotten worse, but thankfully no one commented on it.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In that moment Sasuke became painfully aware of just how little he actually knew about Sakura. Even before he left the village, he’d never bothered to ask about her life or get to know her on the level that teammates ought to know one another on. He wondered if this was all information that Naruto was privy to, a thought that saddened him and made him feel even more guilty for treating his former teammate like some nameless individual in a crowd, rather than an actual human being with unique individual experiences. At least with Naruto he’d had the excuse of the blonde not having a family in the first place. It crossed Sasuke’s mind to rectify the situation, although for some reason it felt like an impermanent conviction. Some part of his subconscious reminded him that he wouldn’t have the time nor the chance. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Foolish, he thought. Penance was impossible for someone like him. No amount of punishment could ever be enough. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When he drifted back into reality, Sakura had left him standing in the foyer and was heading for the kitchen with Madara and Obito on her heels like starving puppies. She asked them if they were in the mood for gohan or okayu, and what kinds of vegetables and fish they preferred. Oh, and she could also make Miso Shiru if they wanted, or natto, or both. Okayu, a simple rice porridge, was Sasuke’s favorite and something he had not eaten since-</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><em> Somebody was inside. Terror gripped his mind, bleeding into every fiber of his being. His heart was racing, beating painfully fast. He was going to die. He was- he was….he had to open the doors. Move. Move. </em> <b> <em>Move</em> </b> <em> - </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke! Earth to Sasuke,” Sakura called out to him, peeking through the wall opening with a pleasant grin shaping her features. “Come here and help us decide what to make.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke walked over to join them, suppressing the shudder passing through him, and each step felt as if he were dragging his limbs through thick, dark mud. They were so heavy, his legs, it was so hard to move. And cold. It was not even ten meters to reach the kitchen, and yet Sasuke feared he might become lost on his way there. Perhaps he was lost before the journey began. He stood at the edge of the room like a lame duck while Sakura flitted about, pulling out a large <em> donabe </em> covered in blue leaf designs and handing it to Obito. She instructed him to add one-hundred grams of rice to the pot and begin rinsing off the grains, all of which Obito apparently knew how to do <em> without being able to see </em>. Madara was not so skilled, and smacked into the fridge after mistaking it for Obito.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was funny. He should have laughed; they were an interesting pair, that’s for sure. Every time that Sakura had visited them in their cell, Obito was able to keep her laughing for the duration of her visit. Her eyes would scrunch up with joy, soft cheeks glowing with mirth and the sound - her laugh - was like festival music, bright and cheery and imbued with the desire to live and experience and <em> to live and live and live </em>, illuminating the dark pocket of their world if only for a moment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sakura,” Sasuke suddenly spoke. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hmm?” she responded, her back turned to him while she reached into a cabinet. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Where is your…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Was he too embarrassed to say the word? Had such a simple, natural thing become so harrowing as to be unspeakable? Was anything ever easy?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>‘Ah, just up the stairs, the second door on the right.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Thank you,” Sasuke muttered, missing Sakura’s concerned side-glance when he turned to leave.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He slogged through the thick layers of reality for what felt like hours, dragging his feet, unable to move them along any faster. At first each step was excruciating, but not long after he’d begun it faded into a comforting numbness, a welcome respite. </p><p> </p><p>For a moment, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to force a peace that he didn’t feel. All of a sudden, moving on felt so incredibly difficult. He not only had to let go of the past, but also the future that wished to spend with the sun. With Naruto, the only reason Sasuke had fallen in love with sleep; while asleep, he could escape to a dreamworld in which they were together. No matter how many years went by, his heart was - and would remain forever - Naruto’s. Because when he said that Naruto was everything to him, he meant <em> everything </em>.</p><p> </p><p>But he <em> had </em> to let go, and to let go of the illusion that it could have been any different.</p><p> </p><p>When he reached the top of the stairs he could see into the first bedroom, the door having been left wide open. With a cursory once-over he noted that it must have been Sakura’s bedroom, based off of the decor. Noticing a framed photo set on the bedside table, Sasuke’s curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped inside. Upon closer inspection, it was not just any framed picture, but a photo that had been taken of their genin team - Kakashi had a hand in his and Naruto’s hair, who were standing on either side of Sakura and glaring at each other. Sakura herself was grinning sweetly, holding up her fists in some girlish expression of joy. As he continued to stare the picture began to move, and he could see Kakashi’s eyes crinkle, Sakura’s shoulder vibrate with giggles, Naruto’s chest puff out, and his own eyes twitching in irritation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They all looked so young and...innocent. This world was so <em> wrong </em>. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A ceramic vase sat next to the picture frame, populated by three tulips so rich in color - a beautiful red-orange - that they hurt him. It was so quiet, Sasuke thought he could hear them breathe. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Come here,” they giggled. “Look out our window.”</p><p> </p><p>“No.” They are too excitable, he thought. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“The light lies on these white walls, this bed, your hands,” they said. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“<em>T</em><em>hese </em> hands. I am learning to be peaceful.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>His words caused them to laugh again, taunting this time. “If you won’t spring forth then stop taking our oxygen,” they accused, their tone mutating into a sinister, mocking facade. “Please, you are stealing it. <em> You coward! Bastard! Why won’t you leave? Be gone, thief! </em>” </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I am nobody; I have nothing to do with explosions,” Sasuke replied.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He did not want tulips, he wanted to lie with his palms turned towards the sky in someplace where he wouldn’t be watched. The tulips turned to the window and then to him, mocking in their vibrancy, and he in turn turned away, his line of sight trailing lazily behind the quick movement of his head. </p><p> </p><p>Leaned against the wall and previously hidden by the door, he spotted a sword nesting in its sheath. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura did not fight with a sword. Oh, Sasuke thought once he remembered: he had given his own sword to her for safe keeping upon their return to the village. Obviously such a weapon, or any weapon, was not permitted to enter a jail cell with three former missing-nin. It was the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi, which had nearly been destroyed during the battle with Kaguya. But alas, there it sat before him in all of its tempting devilry. His fingers curled around the leather sheath, the strap lifting up and over his head before settling around his chest, and he shifted the sword to the back of his hip where it was more comfortable. Where it belonged. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hopefully Naruto still had his hitai-ate. Unfortunately Sasuke did not have anything to give to Kakashi; there was no time left to do so anyways. This was his chance; a chance he hadn’t expected to come so early or by such incredible luck, but one he couldn’t refuse. Sakura could, of course, keep his sword if she wanted to.  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Acting upon the inkling that he shouldn’t pry further into her personal space - and shouldn’t have in the first place - Sasuke exited the bedroom and found the next door on that rightmost wall, leading him into the bathroom that was his original destination. He locked the door behind him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In the confines of the bathroom walls Sasuke felt scattered; he was a cloud, weightless and floating on the wind as it slowly dissipated. He lifted his head and the man in the wall blinked at him. Life was meaningless, the other man said. </p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p> </p><p><em> Who are you </em> <em>?</em> </p><p> </p><p>“Who am I?” </p><p> </p><p>Sasuke’s head hurt. It had not stopped hurting since it first began to ache that previous November. Had it really been almost a year? he wondered. His head was ringing, louder and louder with each passing moment, drowning out the rest of the world. The man continued to stare at him, expression blank, eyes dead and reeking of desolation: their gaze was utterly empty, and so devoid of <em> anything and everything </em> that it was hard to believe the man had ever existed in the first place. Did he exist? Sasuke questioned. Maybe he didn’t. He had no place here, and he never would. They all had their own lives to live and would move on, forget. </p><p> </p><p>People always forget. They always leave, just like he did. He left. Now, he’d returned, but he does not belong, does not fit into the bigger picture. Or any picture. Sasuke knew that this made him sad but he felt no sadness, no sorrow. </p><p> </p><p>Often when he was younger, there were times that Sasuke wished to feel nothing at all. But oh, how he knew now, that feeling nothing was so much worse than any other sensation. For what is left of a person, when they no longer feel, when they stop loving the things they love? He wasn’t happy, or sad, or angry, or neutral, or indifferent, he was nothing. His mind was spinning, but he couldn’t feel anything.</p><p> </p><p>The sound of the glass shattering startled him, and he was surprised when he found that his own bloodied fist was behind the destruction. He was just a spectator inside of his own body, an empty shell of a human being, devoid of all qualities that constituted ‘being’. Bits of glass stuck out of the skin in some areas, and in others the white bones of his knuckles were visible instead. Self sacrifice, <em> that </em> is a true shinobi, he remembered Itachi saying.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke couldn’t fathom Itachi’s suffering, or how he had lived with it for so long, if he had truly lived at all.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“We do not know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths,” the man spoke between the cracks, repeating Itachi’s words to him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Who was Itachi, in the end? Sasuke had forgotten to ask his brother. Should he risk eternity in hell for another chance to find out? Who was Sasuke?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke Uchiha. He was alone. He was a traitor and a murderer. He was Nineteen years old. He had been made a monster. He was arrogant, and always thought that he knew better. He was the moon: he could not produce his own light, but merely reflected that of the sun. He was chained to the sun and reliant on it. He was so in love that it drove him insane. </p><p> </p><p>That was Sasuke Uchiha, the one who currently stood in the bathroom. He shouldn’t be this kind of tired at his age, and yet a persistent weariness had turned his bones to lead. He didn’t want to die like this, Sasuke thought, but he couldn’t picture his life like <em> this </em>, there where he should not be; would they be lost without him?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>No. They were without him for years and turned out fine - much better than himself, in fact. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Making up his mind, Sasuke looked at the wall and what was left of the man trapped inside of it. This simple act of experiencing knocked the wind out of his chest and he doubled over, an endless scream erupting without any sound, the kind of agony that did not need vocalization, only to mime it. He recovered a moment later and stood straight once again, limbs aching and electrified by anxiety. </p><p> </p><p>As it turns out, no matter how badly someone wishes to die, the intense and primal fear of the unknown <em> always </em> presents itself in those final, critical moments, fleeting as it may be. </p><p> </p><p>The man was crying, silent tears rolled from his crimson eyes down his pale cheeks and gathered at the corners of his lips. They tasted like salt. Like the ocean he had seen when visiting his mother’s family as a child. He wondered if they knew he was still alive, if they knew anything, or if they cared. Will they miss him, will they weep for him, will they give enough of a shit to know anything is missing at all? Didn’t orphans live with their grandmothers? He did not even know the name of his grandmother, nor could he picture her face. Not that it mattered anymore. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m sorry,” they both spoke in unison, a soft murmur of true sincerity, and the last. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Reaching for their sword, they gripped the handle and released it from its cage upon the hip. The metal glinted in the light, brilliant and shining with a kind of value that both men felt they thoroughly lacked. Somewhere on the outside, in the vivacious reality where everyone else lived, there was a familiar voice and the thudding of contented footsteps. It sounded far away, underwater even; they did not pay the intrusion any mind. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Meeting eyes in the shattered remains of the mirror, they took a breath. The man’s eyes reflected the same resolve Sasuke felt, and a twinge of regret that had somehow wedged its way past the abyssal <em> lack </em> of anything. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He raised his sword.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Down. Twist. Right. Release. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>There was clarity within the pain that followed, a welcome feeling after such persistent numbness, and when the air was forced out of his lungs with a quiet gasp Sasuke finally recognized the man in the mirror as himself. He saw who he was. The truth. </p><p> </p><p>He was twelve years old again, swearing to himself that he would never love anything or fall in love with anyone, especially not his annoying blonde teammate. But there they were, on a mission gone wrong, a tragic misjudgment that was about to get Naruto killed, and his body just moved on its own. He’d glanced back at the shock and reverence on the other boy's face without feeling even an ounce of regret, and that was the moment Sasuke knew he was screwed. </p><p> </p><p>Everything. For him, he would do anything, he would even live- </p><p> </p><p>When his back stopped supporting his body and he realized what a terrible, irreversible thing he had done - perhaps the worst thing he had ever done - there was no time to reflect upon it or to weep. And even though he was not yet dead, the things that made him Sasuke Uchiha were already gone before gravity had the chance to pull him towards the ground.</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I apologize for the cutoff - the chapter just got too long, so I've split it into two parts. I simultaneously have so much and so little to say about this chapter. This is how it happens, I guess. I've had this in my plot outline since around the 5th chapter, by the way. So it is in NO way spontaneous, although I've definitely a mind to foreshadow it in the rewrite. </p><p>I sincerely hope that this isn't out of left field for you, regarding Sasuke's character. Of course people perceive things differently, but in my opinion - which is shaped by my own experiences and education - Sasuke displayed signs of suicidal ideation/behavior all throughout the series(more clearly in Shippuden). That is not to even touch on the trauma he endured, which I could write a chapter's worth of notes about. In a real-life scenario, there is a very likely chance that he would have tried something like this after the war(too dark for one of Kishimoto's main characters to actually do, though). Why? Well, I certainly hope Sasuke's internal dialogue during this chapter explained some part of the why.</p><p>In his own canon words, his sole reason for living was to kill Itachi. Almost everyone he knew - his relatives/family - was gone, and his mind was broken at the ripe old age of seven. Sasuke, from that perspective, had literally nothing else to live for. How could anything or anyone else matter after going through something so terrible? Yeah. So he killed his brother who ended up not even being who Sasuke thought he was, who's truth (in Sasuke's mind) invalidated the justifications for his actions and thus his reason to live at all. After already losing almost his entire family, Sasuke was misled so that he personally destroyed his bonds to the only family he had left. Not just Itachi but Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi as well. Imagine if you sold off everything you owned to pay for medical treatment for a loved one, only for them to die anyways. Now you are broke, homeless, jobless, and alone. Imagine how hopeless that would feel, because that's close to the level of hopelessness Sasuke is feeling. Then, understand that there are actual suicides caused not only by that exact scenario, but far less. Job loss alone does it for a lot of people.</p><p>Anyways, we'll hear more from Sasuke on that later. The next chapter is just as fucking sad as this one. Sadder, in my opinion. I may or may not have teared up several times while I wrote and edited it. Keep the happy ending in mind - the bigger picture - and try to appreciate the bumps along the way. (or collapsed bridges, in this case, lol). Personally I'm enjoying this new level of depth to the characters, as hard as it is. I promise this angst isn't without reason. If you've made it this far already, I hope you'll continue to trust my word on this.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. I'm Lost in a World That Doesn't Exist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What happens next, and the aftermath. Naruto has a mental breakdown. Aratashiki wakes up, and someone else goes to sleep. </p><p>Remember the warning about graphic medical descriptions/injuries? Yeah. That is the prevailing warning for this chapter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<b><em>Cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit cannot be severed; for the effect already blooms in the cause, the end preexists in the means, the fruit in the seed.”</em> </b></p><p>- Ralph Waldo Emerson</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <b>Chapter 22: I’m Lost in a World That Doesn’t Exist</b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>9:53 A.M.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>When Naruto arrived, he had asked for the day’s menu as his first order of business before they would have their breakfast together. </p><p> </p><p>His loud entrance drowned out the already faint sound of the bathroom mirror breaking. </p><p> </p><p>Sakura had been so absorbed in her cooking efforts that she startled and nearly dropped the <em> donabe </em>full of porridge when Naruto came barging in. She scolded him for being so brash and then returned to the task of preparing breakfast, while Naruto joined Madara and Obito at the dining room table. Madara immediately brought up the subject of his ‘owed’ vision, putting Naruto - who hadn’t actually verified whether or not his Six Paths chakra was up to the task - in the hot seat. However, Naruto was quick to start excusing his way out of the situation, changing the subject instead. </p><p> </p><p>“Sakura, where the hell is Sasuke?” Naruto asked. “He’s totally blowing us off!”</p><p> </p><p>Bathroom. The bathroom. Pausing for a moment to set down her cookware before responding to the noisy blonde, Sakura answered that Sasuke had gone to use the restroom upstairs, smoothing her apron with her hands to try and calm her nerves. Her eyebrows furrowed as the words left her mouth - he had been in there for over half an hour, though, she added. </p><p> </p><p>There was a beat of silence, and before any speculations could be vocalized they heard the faint but distinct thud of someone collapsing on the second floor of the home. </p><p> </p><p>Time seemed to slow to a crawl as everyone tensed in nervous anticipation. Sakura and Naruto exchanged an alarmed glance, and then Naruto was sprinting up the stairs towards the source of the commotion with the pinkette close behind. While Sakura ran into her room, he bolted towards the closed bathroom door and shook the handle hard enough that it should have broken off, knowing full well that he shouldn’t expect it to be unlocked. But he’d hoped that maybe this one time it would be. </p><p> </p><p>The scent of iron wafted up to him from underneath the door, and Naruto began to panic, his heart beating erratically in response to the overwhelming fear and dread that washed over him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke,” he shouted, pounding on the door. <em> ‘Sasuke!’ </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“The sword is gone,” Sakura said, rushing out of her bedroom. “I knew something was wrong. I knew it. I...”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Huh? What do you-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shit. Shit! Naruto, <em> move!”  </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The blonde jumped out of the way just in time for Sakura’s fist to connect with the inside edge of the wooden door, ripping it from its hinges; before it fell, she caught hold of the sides and threw it down and out of their way. Upon entering the bathroom, Sakura made a strange noise and collapsed onto her knees. Naruto already knew - in a general sense - what she was seeing without having to ask. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fuck, oh my god,” he said, stepping past Sakura while curses continued to pour from his mouth. “Fuck, Sasuke. Oh god. What the fuck.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The profanity was an involuntary reflex, not intentional, while his brain struggled to process what he was seeing. Naruto knelt down on the other side of Sasuke’s body, unconcerned about being dirtied by the blood that was rapidly pooling on the tile floor. Sasuke’s knees had folded underneath him when he fell, and his torso was slumped against the wall, bent at an unnatural angle. The expression on his face was entirely too peaceful: eyes closed, mouth slightly opened, and all completely still, as if he were only taking a nap. </p><p> </p><p>Naruto thought he knew what real pain felt like, but he didn’t, not until that moment. He’d been planning on taking the leap either today or sometime soon; confessing his truth, extending an invitation that was long overdue. So many dreams, so many disappointments, so many promises - and they all just vanished. Gone in the blink of an eye.</p><p> </p><p>Sasuke's skin was incredibly pale, which made sense given the sheer amount of blood leaking out all around them. His stomach was the hardest part to reconcile, though. What was left of it, at least. Naruto was no expert on anatomy but had enough mind to recognize that the visible parts of Sasuke were not supposed to ever be visible, or out in the open. The current state of their friend was not a sight he or Sakura would forget. Never. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What do we do?” Naruto asked, already reaching for the sword’s hilt to throw it out of their way. “Sakrua, what do we do? Is he dead? <em> What do I do? </em>”  </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura’s glazed over eyes suddenly snapped back into focus, and her hands began to glow bright green as they hovered over the wound. Or rather, part of it. Sasuke had jerked the blade out through the side of his abdomen, partially bisecting his torso and disemboweling himself. A method of suicide she had heard of but hadn’t yet witnessed herself. Sakura had encountered far more horrific injuries than this on the battlefield - in an anatomical sense - but this time it was self-inflicted and it was <em> Sasuke, </em>which made it one of the most disturbing things she’d seen thus far in her life. </p><p> </p><p>Madara and Obito joined the catastrophe then, both too shocked to say anything, and were commanded by Sakura to go outside and start accosting people for help so that they could hopefully reach Tsunade, Kakashi, or someone else familiar. </p><p> </p><p>They would need help transporting his body in this state.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked at Sakura expectantly, desperate for her to say something, anything to give him guidance. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thank god she had cleaned the bathroom the day before, Sakura thought. That would minimize the chance of any organs contracting an infection from surface contact.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I need you-” she faltered for a moment, taking a breath before continuing, “-I need you to put everything you can back inside, and then hold the wound closed so that I can try and stop the bleeding.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Paling until his skin was near the same color as a healthy Sasuke’s, Naruto nodded in understanding and began trying to piece his <em> soulmate </em> back together. The sight, smell, and sound of their ordeal was nauseating and almost overwhelming, but for obvious reasons Sasuke’s potential survival was more important than any amount of visceral discomfort. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t worry about placement, Naruto. We’ll fix that in surgery - right now I just need to stop whatever bleeding I can and keep the organ tissue from dying.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto finished the task as instructed, staring up at the ceiling to avoid having to watch while he pulled Sasuke’s separated abdomen closed, or as ‘closed’ as it could be in that state, and held the halves of him together. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He couldn’t imagine how Sasuke had even managed all of this without making any noise; the fact that he was able to remain completely silent while maiming himself was more terrifying to Naruto than the visceral horror of the injury. Sure, he’d known that Sasuke was not altogether well in the head and needed psychiatric treatment, but he never imagined that his mental state was this bad. Things like this were supposed to be reserved for the truly insane, and Sasuke was not insane - at least, Naruto didn’t think so - which meant that instead, he was broken beyond comprehension. </p><p> </p><p>Everything was falling apart, out of place, leaking out around him, and it took every ounce of Naruto’s strength and self control not to be consumed by his own despair in that moment.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>10:07 A.M.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Sakura’s hands shook as she scrubbed them clean in the sink of the decontamination room. Her body had been numb with shock since the moment she broke down the door and saw him lying there in a pool of his own blood, and...and he had all but bisected himself - <em> oh god oh god oh god </em> - Sakura shoved the image away. Without a doubt it was a ritual suicide, which Madara confirmed for them all; <em> harakiri, </em> an old custom that was really only practiced by the Samurai in the Land of Iron nowadays. It was supposed to be an honorable death, and sickening as it was, it did make sense to her that Sasuke would choose such a method. A cruel twist, after all that had happened during and since the final battle of the war. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Haruno-hakase,” her circulating nurse called, barging into the room. They were in a hurry, every second counted. “We’ve matched his blood, it’s warming up now - the wound has been decontaminated as well. Tsunade-hakase has already begun, are you ready?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke’s case was a special one, in the sense that it was especially severe. Medical ninjutsu was very powerful, yes, but there were limits - Sakura and Tsunade could regenerate the majority of their own bodies and organs, but this ability did not transfer to others to the same extent, and certainly not under such duress. It also did not work on non-living patients, body tissue, or cells, which further pressed them for time. This wasn’t a wound they could just pour chakra on and expect to heal properly - the affected internal organs would require extensive reconstruction and likely a tissue transplant in order to be saved at all. Tsunade had already prepared a portion of her grandfather’s cells, taken from the arm she had waiting for Sasuke, to be used for the expedition of said reconstruction. If that wasn’t enough, then….</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Pulling her mask over the lower half of her face, Sakura put on her professional front and entered the OR, standing on the opposite side of the operating table from Tsunade. She locked eyes with her mentor and a wave of emotion threatened to spill over the fragile barrier she’d constructed. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Haruno, start cauterizing so Kangoshi can begin his transfusion,” Tsunade ordered. “I’m going to begin reconnecting the intestinal veins and arteries.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She had to keep it together and focus as well as she did with any other patient, even though this wasn’t just any other patient. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Hypogastric artery is severed, reconnecting to the common iliac artery now,” Tsunade said. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>This was Sasuke.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Renal arteries and veins have been severed. Inferior vena cava has no lesions. Retying into the left kidney. Both organs are intact - right kidney has entered end-stage failure. Removing to mitigate shock. Upper digestive tract and associated organs are intact, moving on to assess lower abdominal injuries.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She wouldn’t let him die. He couldn’t. They could fix this.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sigmoid and cecum have been fragmented. Appendix is intact. Partial ileal segment located.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura continued her work while Tsunade called out her observations, and the scrub nurse followed along, helping regenerate and reconstruct portions of the intestine - grafting new cells onto the flesh per Tsunade’s instruction - before the tissue died and was unable to be salvaged.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ascending colon cannot be recovered.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The sword had eviscerated his abdomen and sliced clean through several vertebrae, including the corresponding section of the spinal cord, but the gentle flexing of his diaphragm gave Sakura hope. If he was breathing then he wasn’t dead yet.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Descending colon cannot be recovered.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They started the blood transfusion. Sakura had always wanted to be a surgeon - she was good at it. She’d always thought it would be easy to operate on someone that she cared about, she would feel in control, she would be motivated and hyper-focused on saving them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Transverse colon cannot be recovered.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>His body temperature was a few degrees too low but the new blood would warm him up. Sakura was struggling to focus, she was petrified. Here, participating, she did not have the thin veil of ignorance provided by a waiting room. His prognosis was updated for her in real-time. There was no buffer zone prolonging her optimism.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Removing excess tissue to try and locate the duodenum and jejunum.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura noticed his diaphragm movement falter and then stop. Well, it became so slow that the movement was too slight for the naked eye. He was about to code - part of her was surprised it had taken this long for him to crash in the first place. She stopped what she was doing and tried to locate a pulse.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Patient has no pulse. Tear down the drapes and begin compressions,” Sakura ordered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kangoshi - the circulating nurse - rushed to the intercom, while the scrub nurse removed their obstructions and started performing CPR.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Rapid response needed in OR 1-0-2, we have a code blue,” Kangoshi said before quickly hanging up. “Code blue initiated, I’m going to get the crash cart.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The other nurse continued her chest compressions, and Tsunade established an airway by holding Sasuke’s forehead down to keep his trachea open. Sakura began preparing an external defibrillator - a brand new technology that hadn’t been used much yet, but could be life-saving. It was modeled after lightning-release user techniques. Her mind was racing, and if not for her muscle memory serving as a sort of auto-pilot, then Sakura would have been completely defunct in that moment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She didn’t realize that she <em> had </em>in fact stopped moving until Ino was leaning around her and prying the shock pads from her hands. After handing them off to a nurse to take over the role, Ino wrapped an arm around Sakura’s shoulders and guided her into the observation annex. She helped Sakura peel off her bloodied gloves and wash her hands, and pulled her mask down under her chin so she could breathe more readily. They sat down in two of the chairs near the viewing glass, and Ino turned towards her to speak. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I’m sorry. Tsunade asked me to take you out of there. It’s too emotional of an environment for-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Did you see?” Sakura asked. “Did you see what he did?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I saw, Sakura,” Ino responded.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>For several seconds they sat in silence. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“It cut through his spine, Ino. Massive bowel devitalization doesn’t even cover it, there is almost nothing left, just shredded tissue in various states of cell death.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The atmosphere in the room was unbearably heavy.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If we’d gotten to the bathroom even a minute later he would have already bled out. I can’t believe he even made it to the hospital.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Ino didn’t say anything, reaching over and grabbing Sakura’s hand instead. She immediately clung to the blonde with a death grip, but Ino didn’t mind - better for Sakura to break her hand than the walls or some poor nurse’s skull. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I shouldn’t have left him alone for so long. I knew something was off, Ino. I <em> knew </em> . We’ve been researching traumatic stress responses and I <em> knew </em>. After their fight, he told Naruto he was going to off himself. He literally said, “I will just put an end to myself”. That he didn’t have a reason for living, that when he wasn’t feeling nothing he was in agony. That he was just going to burden us. Hell, even before that I had to talk him down from a panic attack right in front of the ten-tails. Caused by a minor genjutsu - a clear trigger. He had a flashback and a panic attack. I also know that he has hardly slept at all since we returned to the village. He participated but was never interested in any of the card games I brought to entertain them in the cell, which he used to love. He always looked anxious and on edge. Never showed any emotion though, his eyes were empty. Like they have been since we were children.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She took a breath.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“If our academic work was finished already, then Sasuke would be the textbook example of the kind of patient we are studying. He should have been kept here, in the hospital, but I let them lock him up instead. I knew. I knew and I still said nothing because I...because I was desensitized to it, Ino. Despite all of my training, I saw but didn’t acknowledge what was right in front of me. He has been like this for <em> so long </em>, at some point these things stopped being warning signs and just became ‘Sasuke’ to me.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In the OR, they had given him a shot of adrenaline and were on the fourth round of defibrillator shocks. Everyone in the room knew that it was all for show, for Sakura and for Naruto especially, even though he was being kept away from the room. He didn’t need to see this. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No one survives that level of physical trauma and organ damage,” Sakura said in an even tone. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The activity in the room stopped, and everyone who had been working on resuscitating Sasuke stepped away from the table, save for a lone nurse who continued compressions, as per protocol. It had been twenty-four minutes since Sakura entered the upstairs bathroom. Less than two hours since they’d all gathered in the plaza. Three hours since the Uchihas were released from their cell. He’d been hers for an hour and it wasn’t enough, it was nowhere near enough, it was unacceptable. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Tsunade’s back was to them, but Sakura could see the hesitation in her shishou’s form as she glanced at the clock on the wall. The older woman turned around and looked at Sakura through the glass. It was customary to call the patient’s death in front of their family, after receiving the family’s approval. Naruto could have been brought in, but he wouldn’t be...it just wasn’t a good idea, and if they brought Kakashi in they would not be able to keep Naruto out as well. So, as Sasuke’s sole medical representative, she locked eyes with her Shishou, and consented to the cessation of revival efforts.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Time of death: 10:17 a.m. </b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“He didn’t even scream, Ino. Sasuke did that to himself <em> without making a sound </em>.” Her voice had raised in both pitch and volume, the barrier finally giving way. “Who does that?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Quiet sobs shook Sakura’s body so violently that she began to fall forwards off the edge of her seat. Ino caught her in her arms and wrapped the pinkette in a tight embrace, helpless while her friend - and a part of herself as well - broke into a thousand mismatched pieces, as they sat and cried together on the cold, linoleum floor of the operating theatre. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>10:20 A.M.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Naruto couldn’t breathe. Naruto was dying, his heart was going to give out. He fell to the ground clutching his chest, limbs seizing in shock while the panic attack ran its course.</p><p> </p><p>Sasuke.</p><p> </p><p>It was not the first time something like this had happened to someone Naruto was close to. Kakashi and Hinata had died not even half a year ago during Pain’s assault. Gaara had died too, when the Akatsuki extracted his Bijuu. He was reliving that nightmare, but this time it was ten times worse and there was no rinnegan-wielding Nagato, no Granny Chiyo, and no last-minute appearance of Hagoromo Otsutsuki to bring Sasuke back to life. </p><p> </p><p>He was dead. Sasuke was dead on an operating table ten meters away. When they first came to the hospital there was a wall and a barrage of nurses and his sensei and then Yamato between them, and now the veil between life and death was separating them too and there was no amount of chakra, or talk-no-jutsu, or rasengan big enough to break through to Sasuke.</p><p> </p><p>Sasuke was dead.</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, no, no, this isn’t supposed to happen, everything is going so wrong-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“-it's not supposed to turn out this way!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Hinata had never seen Naruto in so much pain and she was scared, everyone was scared - of him and what he might or  might not do, but also <em> for </em>him. Naruto deserved the truth, but maybe they should have waited for him to calm down before breaking it to him that Sasuke had been declared dead, or found a gentler way to tell him. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as the thought crossed her mind, though, Hinata deemed it foolish. There probably wasn’t an easier way to give that kind of news. How naive it was of all of them to think that, with the war over, everyone was safe and invincible and undying. That the darkness had passed and they had all made it out unscathed. She had even saved Naruto, and done so just in time to keep Neji from needlessly dying to try and save <em> her </em>, even though she hadn’t needed him to. </p><p> </p><p>In reality, however, they weren’t even safe from themselves. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Their friends had all come as soon as possible, to be there for Naruto and Sakura, and were in the waiting room at the end of the hallway being given the news as well. Naruto pulled himself off the ground and made another break for the operating room. Hinata moved to try and catch him, but Kakashi beat her to it. Kakashi started to say something and was quickly told off by Naruto; the Hokage looked beyond tired as he held onto his devastated student.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>So often in his life Kakashi had lost those he cared about, and now he was losing two more - because the bond between Naruto and Sasuke was so strong and so integral to both of their beings, that Naruto might as well have died on that operating table with him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That was Naruto’s plan, to either die fighting each other or die fighting alongside one another. Not like this.   </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Why didn’t you let me help? I could’ve saved him,” Naruto was shouting, “I have my six paths powers, I have the fucking, the Uzumaki bite shit, but you wouldn’t even let me <em> try! </em>”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They had called Captain Yamato for backup before arriving at the hospital, in case things escalated, but Hinata sincerely hoped that it would not come to that. If Naruto did snap, then attempting to contain him would be futile, anyways. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto, I understand what you are going through, and I can tell you that this behavior isn’t going to make it any easier,” Kakashi said. He was as calm-facing as ever, but the man had to have a limit, and one that was quickly approaching on the horizon. “You can’t blame your-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi was cut off when Naruto threw him into the wall hard enough to crack the plaster; fortunately, not hard enough to break through or seriously injure Kakashi. Hinata was at a loss, and part of her wanted to cry like the old her would have, but she needed to be strong for Naruto. If he gave up then she would just have to keep believing in things for the both of them. She didn’t know what to do, but decided it was likely best if she didn’t physically intervene before Kakashi and Yamato did. Naruto’s fury was palpable and bordering on killing intent, yet there was no sign of the nine-tails, and that in and of itself was a miracle amidst the tragedy unfolding. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, you don’t know <em> shit </em>,” Naruto screamed, swinging a fist at the older man.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Unable to stop herself, Hinata darted over to him and caught hold of his good arm as he removed it from the hole he’d created in the wall. Kakashi had of course gracefully dodged the blow, and now stood a few paces away, muscles tensed in preparation to retaliate if Naruto tried anything while Hinata attempted to reason with him.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto, please don’t do this. It’s okay to be angry, but Sasuke wouldn’t want-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was dumb luck that Neji was on a different floor of the hospital, and thereby not present to witness Naruto shoving Hinata to the floor while spewing anger and vitriol at her. The ensuing fight would have resulted in at least one more death that day. Neji was no match for the nine-tails jinchuriki, not even with all the righteous contempt held for a person who dared to treat and manhandle his cousin - or any of his friends, for that matter - in such an atrocious manner. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t you dare act like you know Sasuke. Have you ever even talked to him, Hinata? Huh?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The wind was nearly knocked out of Hinata when her back hit the floor; thankfully she was able to brace her neck in time to keep her head from slamming against the tile. Sitting up slowly, Hinata controlled her breathing and cleared any contemptuous feelings from her mind, because she was not the person in that situation who was truly hurting. Hinata kept her chin high and her expression calm, her eyes locked onto Naruto’s in acknowledgement but refusing to vocally respond. She would rather he let everything out on his own, without risking further provocation.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No, you haven’t. You were too busy hovering around me like a fucking fly!” he shouted, seething. “Living in someone’s shadow isn’t the same as <em> knowing </em>them, Hinata. Don’t kid yourself.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Big mistake, buddy,” Kakashi growled, shoving the blonde from behind to throw him off-balance. “Huge. Yamato!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The decision to use the OR on the ground level of the hospital had likely been strategic in hindsight, Hinata thought, as she watched thick wooden roots erupt from the ground and wrap around Naruto’s limbs, effectively restraining him for the moment. She wasn’t hurt, physically or otherwise. Once upon a time she would’ve cowered, cried, and taken his actions as a deeply personal affront, allowing herself to be completely heartbroken and defeated. But she knew better. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Through no fault of his own, Naruto had been one way for almost their entire lives - he had been Naruto, with Sasuke Uchiha as a constant presence in his life. And now that such an important and pervasive variable had been removed indefinitely, Naruto was someone else. He was someone <em> after </em> , someone <em> without, </em>a person who'd lost their shadow and therefore ceased to fully exist. Hinata was too smart to expect the same treatment she’d received before from an entirely new individual. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Thrashing about like a wild beast within his living cage, it seemed that Naruto really would come apart at the seams. It was a rare thing to witness the total annihilation of someone’s character, to watch them begin the descent into madness, and seeing it happen was disturbing to the others on an almost primal level. Like being in a genjutsu, everything felt fundamentally wrong - but this wasn’t a genjutsu, only a terrible, execrable, macabre version of reality that they were forced to live with and confront. Hinata worried that her own mind might break from just watching Naruto experience that very thing. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Fuck you, Kakashi,” Naruto spat. His irises were red, but Kurama seemed otherwise in control of their chakra for the moment. “This is your fault, all of this, our entire miserable lives. You failed Sasuke when you let him leave the village. You didn’t do enough, didn’t fight for him. Why did you let him leave, Kakashi? You were so ready to kill him after the summit, so are you happy now? Is this what you wanted?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The man was frozen stiff but otherwise unreadable as he sat back and took it while Naruto unleashed his wrath with shocking vituperation. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Everyone around you dies, Kakashi. At some point you have to realize that you’re the common denominator, you know? You’re the fuck-up. Killed the only teammate who actually liked you and the other one, who you left to die under a fucking boulder, watched you do it. He was so mad that he went on a goddamn crusade against the village out of spite. Set Kurama loose after taking him out of my <em> mother </em> while she was <em> giving birth to me </em>. Do you know what happened next, Kakashi? Wanna help me finish the story?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi stayed quiet, his composure unwavering in what appeared to be an incredible display of self-control. The hospital was deathly silent; their friends stood and watched from the far end of the hallway, none daring to move or say anything lest Naruto turn his torrent of invective on them instead. Iruka had shown up with Madara and Obito as well, but not even they were bold enough to speak out just yet. Hinata’s subconscious noted that the two men were no longer missing their eyes, but her conscious mind dismissed the information in light of what was happening in her immediate proximity. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“No? OK, I’ll do it all on my own. Don’t worry sensei, I’m used to it, you know,” Naruto sneered. “Kurama was sent on a rampage that killed a fuck-ton of people. Including my parents, who sacrificed themselves to stop the disaster that the friend who <em> you fucked up </em> caused. Thank you, by the way - because of that, Kurama was sealed inside of me, and I got to grow up being fucking <em> hated </em> by our entire village. Along with the Uchiha clan, actually. In fact, they were so hated, that Itachi Uchiha was ordered to slaughter his entire clan after they started planning a coup d’etat to deal with it all. And Itachi did it! Men, women, children, infants, all murdered by a brainwashed and traumatized thirteen year old. Fucking thirteen, man. With the help of <em> your teammate </em>, by the way.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What?” Kakashi whispered, his illusion faltering if only for a moment. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Yeah, Obito didn’t tell you about that part, did he? So, another event in which one of your various fuck ups was the catalyst. But wait, there’s more!”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Kakashi’s gaze flickered down the hallway, briefly meeting Obito’s pained expression before returning to his former student. The realization that he had just looked into Obito’s <em> eyes </em>could only mean one of several things, and selfishly he hoped it meant that there might be a way to reverse this calamity.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Not only did you ruin my childhood and cause Itachi to go fucking insane from being forced to murder his own family - after which said insanity inspired Itachi to ruin <em> Sasuke’s </em> entire fucking life - but that guy Obito? He helped create the Akatsuki, too. The group led by Nagato, the guy who destroyed our village and killed almost everyone in it, including you, Kakashi, five months ago! <em> Five months ago </em>. But I digress,” Naruto said, watching while Kakashi backed himself against the wall, as if he needed the physical support in order to maintain his outward emotional stability. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Keep going, Naruto. I can take it,” he said; not sounding sad, or hurt, or furious, but defeated. Tired.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You can, huh? Too bad you couldn’t <em> take it </em> when the three of us mildly inconvenienced you by existing. Never even bothered to show up to training on time. Even though you’d already fucked up mine and Sasuke’s lives by that point, you still couldn’t find it in you to give us the incredible luxury of occasional punctuality. Poor Sakura had to deal with our shit while being simultaneously neglected by you - her sensei, her one shot at breaking away from her civilian family and her shitty dad. I bet you don’t even know about him, do you? Pathetic. I could go on and on about all of the shit that you caused, but the important takeaway is this, what we’re doing right now, and <em> why </em>we’re doing it.” Naruto used his head to gesture around them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto's eyes were possessed. Not by a demon, or Kurama, or any other outside force, but by his own darkness that he’d battled against for so long. By someone hidden deep within his heart who'd been devoid of positivity for what felt to them like an eternity, and who was perfectly content to have others join them in that miserable state. It was the same look they’d seen in Sasuke’s eyes after the Five Kage Summit, after he’d snapped.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Kakashi Hatake, congratulations. Today, your cursed existence reached its fuck-up fever pitch when Sasuke Uchiha committed suicide via literal ritual disembowelment inside of Sakura’s bathroom,” Naruto announced. “That’s how he died. Alone, next to the toilet, in a bathroom with pink polka-dot wallpaper, by his own sword.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The blonde paused while the words sunk in, his mouth splitting into a deranged grin. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Man, I bet you’re <em> gutted </em>. Just like Sasuke! Hey, why don’t you go join him on Sakura’s bath mat? Well, the pieces of him that I couldn't dig out of the fabric. I’m sure he would love the company, you know!” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He began to laugh hysterically at his own sick joke - an irrational, nauseating sound - and thus Naruto had thoroughly disappointed, appalled, and silenced everyone around him with his unprecedented display of everything they thought he was fundamentally incapable of. His was conduct to which no more obloquy could reasonably attach.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto continued to laugh until he was promptly shut up by what was likely the hardest slap he would ever be subject to, courtesy of Sakura Haruno. Her tears were far from being dry - they hadn’t ceased their flow, in fact - but regardless she’d found the strength to try and keep her only remaining original teammate from going even further off of the deep end. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The blonde made no attempt to strike back, not even so much as a flinch was given in retaliation. That minuscule action, or lack thereof, was the first thing he’d done so far that genuinely hurt Hinata - that visible confirmation of her inferiority. She’d always wanted to move up from the third spot on Naruto’s peer totem-pole and surpass Sakura. She wasn’t foolish enough to think Sasuke could ever be moved from first. But now that she was technically in second, Hinata regretted ever wishing for such a thing in the first place. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Pull yourself together, Naruto,” Sakura said. “Don’t you dare leave me too, you asshole.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sakura, I-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“And don’t you <em> ever </em>speak about my father. That comment completely disregarded my privacy and the trust I placed when I confided in you. And you’d better figure out a way to apologize to Kakashi sensei, because your information is incomplete at best and your blame is misplaced. Hinata, too. How dare you treat her like that! She died for you five months ago, and one month ago she saved your life. Who do you think you are?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura managed to accomplish what no one else had been able to in the short time since Sasuke was pronounced dead, and Naruto finally started to cry. The roots binding his limbs retracted, affording him the dignity of collapsing onto the ground and crumpling into a foetal position to muffle his own sobs. Kakashi slid down the wall and joined him on the floor, followed by Sakura.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I thought he was stronger, Sakura. He took the easy way out, god dammit.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t say that,” Sakura whispered.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Look what he did. I can’t believe he’s dead, fu-” a sharp intake of breath cut Naruto off as his lungs fought to take in more air. “Why does it hurt so much? Just stop. Please make it stop. Please. This isn’t real. It can’t be real.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I know, Naruto,” Sakura whispered. “I know.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto screamed, clawing at his hair with his head hovering above his knees. A loud, drawn out expression of pure agony and utter loss. The noise made Sakura whimper, and several of their friends - Hinata included - began to cry. It was such a horrible, terrible sound. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I loved him. I fucking loved him,” Naruto wept. “I figured out where Sasuke ends and where I begin. It’s here, this is where I end. Sasuke...I’m never going to forgive you.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <b>10:20 A.M</b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Her upper body bolted upright, eyes wide, mouth open and gasping for air as if she had been holding her breath underwater. The unfamiliar room came into focus, drab white walls and fluorescent lights greeting her pupils with a harsh brightness. Looking down at her lap revealed a mess of pads and wires stuck to her arms, head, and chest, an IV fluid drip, and a feeding tube that had been pushed through her nose and down her throat. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Aratashiki ripped out the feeding tube first, followed by the IV. She started peeling off the plethora of sticky tabs but quickly grew impatient and ripped the wires off of them instead. Flinging the blanket off of her legs, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. It took a moment to regain her balance, and then she was striding across the room and throwing open the door. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Panic was consuming her. She didn’t know where she was, how long she had been asleep, what had happened after she-</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Neji!” She yelled, spotting him from behind right as he was rounding the corner at the end of the hall. </p><p> </p><p>Neji whirled around in shock. “Ara? Wh- you’re awake? You’re awake.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Something was wrong; she could feel it in her bones. He didn’t look any older, so surely the issue wasn’t that she had been asleep for <em> years </em> or anything. But she felt the same sense of dread she’d felt during those harrowing moments when they fought the ten-tails, when Neji had nearly thrown his life away. When she had the nightmare. It seemed like such a long time ago now. And she’d avoided that fate, she thought. She fixed things. Right?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What happened? Is Kaguya- did they seal her? What day is it, what’s happening?” Her questions tumbled out in a near-incomprehensible stream. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I, um,” Neji stammered, beginning to walk towards her. “Fuck.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>He walked past her and into the room to dial someone on the intercom, ignoring her questions. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“What happened, Neji?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Glancing at her, he took a breath and spoke shortly into the wall. “Hello, I- Ino? Thank god. She’s awake. Can you bring- yes, my thoughts exactly. Thank you.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Lifting his finger off of the button pressed to speak, Neji took a deep breath; his eyes hadn’t yet parted from her own. That was when it hit her. The panic, the dread she was fearing wasn’t her own, but that of the people nearby. At that point she intentionally broadened her senses, and was overcome with a profound sense of despair, the source of which took her a moment to recognize. Whatever just occurred had such a great effect on them that it literally altered their chakra signature, but not so much that it was no longer distinct. There was no mistaking this energy.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Naruto…what happened to Naruto?” she asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke Uchiha is dead,” Neji murmured. “He took his own life less than an hour ago.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>That was impossible. Well, no, she thought, not impossible, but that couldn’t be right. Sasuke had redeemed himself, she was there when it happened, when he chose to accept their forgiveness and a second chance. They fixed things, she helped them fix things, she made sure they would be able to protect themselves. This wasn’t supposed to happen.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Was it her fault? Had she interfered with something she shouldn’t have, altered some unforeseen fate? Perhaps she had meddled too much despite her effort not to and ruined things. Naruto - the Naruto she was currently sensing - was not...he didn’t have those convictions anymore. The ones that were discussed between them all when she brought them before Hagoromo. Naruto is the only one who could accomplish those things, who could incite that change which would save them from her people.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>While she didn’t have the literal foresight that her wretched elder brother possessed, Aratashiki could still see very clearly the fact that they were doomed. She’d made a mistake, she should have just sucked it up and fought Kaguya with them anyways. It’s not like she would have died. But no, she’d been too focused on not detracting from their personal growth. She didn’t understand how or why it led to this, but felt convinced that somehow it had. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The next course of action was obvious for her. There was no other route to take. She knew what would happen if she crossed this line; playing God was playing with fire. But Sasuke Uchiha simply could not die, not now, so what other choice did she have?</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <b>10:45 A.M.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Madara felt deeply for the young man in front of him, who was lashing out at the people he loved the most. He had been in that place before and knew the loss of self very well, and for a moment his heart was breaking all over again for himself, Izuna, and now for Naruto. In a cruel twist of irony, the person who managed to pull Madara back from the brink was now being subjected to the same event which had pushed Madara there in the first place. Over the past month spent in jail, he’d thought about his life so far, what he wanted to do now, and what his future could hold; but he’d been unable to reach a conclusion that felt satisfying on his own.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When he walked upstairs and saw what took place in the bathroom, however, the purpose of the second life he’d been given and spared for became crystal clear to Madara.</p><p> </p><p>He’d finally had his eyes - normal eyes of course, lacking any visual prowess - restored by that strange woman only a few minutes ago. The Otsutsuki, the one Kaguya had expressed fear and reverence for, which still seemed unimaginable to Madara. That woman had yet to even reach her twenties, had a fool’s tongue, and apparently lacked the chakra control to keep from burning through it all in a single fight, despite having so much to begin with. How scary could she really be? No matter, let the cowards cower. Weakness disgusted him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>She’d been awfully irritating to deal with just now, too, ranting and raving about how she was personally responsible for screwing up the future of humanity, or some nonsense. It was laughable for her to try and take credit for <em> his </em> bullshit. Not to mention her cousin’s hand in it all. However, she had no qualms restoring his and Obito’s eyesight, which was a great relief; the girl was too distracted to give pause for thought. She was busy plotting to use - he assumed - the outer path in order to resurrect Sasuke. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It would be unfair to pin the responsibility of saving the day unto her when there was something he himself could do to rectify the unnecessary gash in the fabric of their reality. By her logic, she was ‘immortal’, so even if bringing him back killed her it wouldn’t actually matter. Madara had argued that ‘not mattering’ was precisely why she could do no such thing. This confused her at first, and understandably so - but thankfully he was able to convince her that this task was his cross to bear, and his alone. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke’s actions today, by Madara’s belief, were spurred on in large part by a lack of consequences - something inconsistent with his nonexistent self-worth and immense guilt, causing him to spiral beyond his psychological limit. Therefore the temporary death of an immortal would have no meaning to Sasuke. It would feel inconsequential, and likely would worsen his condition, potentially leading to a repeat situation. Madara had dealt with clansmen who had similar dispositions before; it wasn’t a terribly uncommon affliction for an Uchiha. He himself had been afflicted by such thoughts, having been pushed towards suicide after Izuna’s death. If not for Zetsu’s interference, Madara likely would have followed through.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>When Madara began to approach the group in the hallway, the movement served to shake the others who'd crowded around out of their stupor by a small amount; not enough to question or stop him, though. There was nothing to fear, anyways. Kneeling next to Naruto and Sakura - the woman had been so kind to him, too kind - he carefully placed a hand on the young man’s trembling shoulder, a gentle touch to draw his attention. He had quieted down shortly after letting out that terrible wail.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I owe you my thanks, Uzumaki Naruto,” he said, speaking in a voice so soft that one would scarcely believe it had come from Madara’s throat. “Everything is going to be alright.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked up at him, confused, and his anger began to bubble towards the surface again. “What? How could anything ever be al-”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“You’re wrong, by the way. About your sensei. I am the reason that Rin Nohara died in the way that she did, the reason for Obito’s madness, the reason Nagato was able to become what he did; I planned those things, and I am responsible for all of it. That man beside you is as much a victim of my actions as you and Sasuke are. I’d hoped to make right what I could, after our discussion. Unfortunately, it seems that I ended up killing you both regardless.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Having said his piece, Madara stood to his feet and stepped around Naruto, making his way towards Tsunade and another vaguely familiar blonde woman. He gave a short bow to the granddaughter of the best friend he’d ever had, and asked her if Sasuke’s body was in the room behind her, which she confirmed to be true. Madara ignored her protests when he pushed past the two women and entered the ‘theatre’ as they called it. The name didn’t particularly appeal to him, and seemed rather macabre for such a ‘sophisticated’ society.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sasuke was mostly hidden by a blue linen sheet, and Madara briefly lifted the covering in order to see the injuries for himself one more time, his curiosity having won out over better judgement. His gaze did not linger long, however; just as he’d expected, Sasuke’s condition was eerily similar to the state his dear brother had been in, albeit a great deal cleaner. Perhaps the two were connected somehow in their terrible fates. Life was so unfair in its lack of reservation for such awful things for people like himself, he thought, who might actually deserve the suffering. It would not do for Sasuke to remain like this. Madara couldn’t allow it. Not as the clan head, a close relative, or the person responsible.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>On top of the thin material, his hands hovered over what remained of Sasuke’s abdomen, and a pale blue aura of chakra materialized around them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Madara, what are you doing?” Tsunade yelled, entering the room to confront him. “Aren’t you on house arrest? You can’t just…”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sakura appeared behind her, arm linked tightly with Naruto’s as if he might disappear were she to let go. His tears had slowed down a little bit and his breathing had improved considerably, but when he actually <em>saw </em>Sasuke’s body Naruto began to unravel all over again. Clinging onto him with renewed fervor, Sakura braced herself for whatever might come next. What incredible strength, Madara thought, it must take for Sakura to shoulder such profound grief for the both of them. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“That jutsu,” Naruto said, his voice sounding hoarse and devoid of vitality. “Madara, how could you possibly know that jutsu?”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara hummed as the chakra around his palms burned a deeper azure with each passing moment. “I’ve been alive for quite a long time, and I did not awaken the rinnegan until I was nearing my natural death, as an old man. Whatever jutsu you think this is, I can assure you it is not that; though reanimation techniques like this appear very similar, I imagine.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>None in the room responded, their eyes locked onto Sasuke’s lifeless form, afraid to look away or blink in case they missed the moment in which reality might shift back into a more palatable version of itself. Kakashi joined the spectators then, followed by Obito, whom Madara noticed immediately tense up. The corners of his lips twitched up ever so slightly at the reaction - Obtio should have been celebrating Madara’s impending demise. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Have you had a memory, Obito?” Madara asked. “I used this same technique to revive you as well.” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“This isn’t going to kill you?” Sakura asked.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Ah. Obito was not dead that time, believe it or not. At least, not to...this degree. I also did the bare minimum for his survival; restoring his body was simply too-great of a risk to my self preservation at the time.” Madara winced in discomfort; he was nearing the final push. “Unfortunately, I don’t foresee my survival after this instance.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>They didn’t know what to say. Certainly they weren’t going to object; whether that was selfish of them, pragmatic, or both was up for debate but altogether irrelevant. There was a sensation of whiplash among the individuals - the world had gone to shit, a terrible reality only just beginning to settle in, and now there was a supposed resolution. A fix, a re-do, the second life-altering twist of the day, and it wasn’t even noon. It probably seemed too good to be true. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Maybe it was, but was that alone anything worth complaining about? Certainly not.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>As with the changed outcome of the war, this too would not come without consequences, ones  that no person could predict; not without some divine power or fuckery, that is. But they could only hope that the consequences would be beneficial overall. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I think, perhaps, that this is the rightest thing I’ve ever had the mind to do, in all of my life. I am grateful for such an opportunity; a man like myself ought never to be so redeemed,” Madara lamented. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck, the action near complete. It was such a strange sensation to willingly relinquish one’s own life force to the soul of another. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Naruto attempted to thank him, but was unable to find any words. If Madara’s intervention was a dream or hallucination of some kind, Naruto didn’t want to risk waking up. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Madara didn’t mind any of that, however, because it was his belief that he was the last person on Earth who deserved any thanks. This sacrifice wouldn’t make everything right. In a way, it was inevitable - a means for the universe to retain balance, rather than some selfless or voluntary decision. The sphere of chakra emanating from Madara’s hands was such a deep, dark blue, that the color neared on black once it shrunk and disappeared, the last remains of his life force transferring over. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Thank you for waiting, little brother,” Madara said in a strained whisper, the moment before his collapse. “I’m coming to see you now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>God. Yeah. So that all happened. Writing Naruto's meltdown broke my heart. I just can't picture him acting anything other than completely unhinged in such a situation. And Kakashi...I know that was brutal for him, even if completely misguided, so I apologize for that necessary evil. I'll make it up to you Kakashi. </p><p>If you haven't read or heard of The Monkey's Paw, you should look it up, because it has been and will continue to apply to this story - albeit to a less harsh degree. It's basically the idea that certain 'wishes' will have unintended and sometimes disastrous consequences. Kind of like a universal balancing act. The literal, stated-in-the-text meaning of 'The Monkey's Paw' is as follows: </p><p>"Fate rules people's lives and those who interfere with fate do so to their sorrow."</p><p>Haha...oof. So we saved a lot of people, most importantly Neji, Madara, and Obito. Which is great, but not without drawbacks, as we just saw. But I think its kind of bittersweet that Madara got to really, truly redeem himself in a way that was personally fulfilling, by making that sacrifice 'for the younger generation.' Which is a big personal belief of mine, FYI. "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy is one of my favorite novels and that's a major them of it, but I digress. There will be more angst in the next few chapters while things slowly settle back down. This is obviously going to be a life-changing event for Naruto in particular, and will have important implications for some of the future/current relationships, among other things. </p><p>My goal from the start was to have the canon relationships come about more realistically(read: naruhina and sasusaku, lol) and hoooooo boy, yeah, I'm really committing to it as you can see. ':) No pain no gain.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Breathe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You find yourself standing in front of two open doors. On the other side of each, you can see two versions of reality, both dependent on the choice you are about to make - on which door you choose. Once you cross a threshold, both will shut tight. There is no going back. Which door will you choose?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been staying with a friend out in the rockies and the connection is horrible. Less than 1mbps. This is the last major speed bump for now...so things will start to smooth out as we revisit Kaguya and take a look at the post-war government.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Grief is an amputation, but hope is incurable hemophilia: you bleed and bleed and bleed.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>-David Mitchell, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Slade House</span>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u">
    <b>Chapter 23: Breathe</b>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Breaths came out shallow and rapid in succession, as fleeting, insincere and disorienting as the events of the past few hours had been. The doors of the hospital flew open and he tumbled outside, exposed and trembling like a raw nerve under the sky’s indifferent gaze. It was a pleasant day, for the rest of the world - the sun shone bright and warm, the cicadas sang their static tune, and squirrels darted between trees as they began preparations for autumn and the cold winter months that would follow. Life carried on. The universe had not stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto realized that sometimes when you break - that this time - you can’t be fixed. Instead, pieces continue to fall away, and you break and break and break until there’s barely anything left. He was nothing but a mere shadow of himself, and what did still remain of that self hurt and ached and made it near impossible to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The expression on his face was entirely too peaceful: eyes closed, mouth slightly opened, and all completely still, as if he were only taking a nap. Sasuke's skin was incredibly pale, which made sense given the sheer amount of blood leaking out all around them. Naruto was no expert on anatomy but had enough mind when looking at his stomach to recognize that the visible parts of Sasuke were not supposed to ever be visible or out in the open. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was perhaps the first time Naruto had looked at Sasuke and not thought that he was beautiful. No, not because he was suddenly flawed in that way, but because there was nothing poetic, handsome, or even remotely appealing about watching the person you love turn into a corpse.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Doubling over and bracing his hands on his knees, Naruto did not fight the bile rising from the back of his throat. His gut clenched several times before violently heaving, but all that came out was stomach acid and the bit of water he’d drank that morning during physical therapy. Still his body heaved, desperate to clear out the invisible toxin making Naruto feel ill. It was a fruitless effort, grief could not be purged by any emetic. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I did everything that I could, Naruto. His heart gave out. I’m...so sorry,” Tsunade said.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What do you mean? We just got here,” Naruto responded. “Surgery is already over…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes, Naruto, I...Sasuke passed away.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Another protest from his digestive track sent him reeling forwards, coughing and sputtering and choking on nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Grief, he’d begun to realize, was just another form of love. Like water and ice, they were fundamentally the same yet differentiated by the conditions under which either state prevailed; love begets grief and that grief may yet melt back into its love, but grief cannot precede it.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto’s grief was an amalgamation of all the love he wanted to give Sasuke over the years, but could not. When he cried it formed the lump in his throat and rose in an upwelling to leak from his tear ducts, wetting his vulnerable gaze and decorating his cheeks with glistening candor. Some nights it would pool in his abdomen while he slept and Naruto would wake up feeling bothered, skin burning red hot as if he were glass submerged in a fiery kiln by some unseen gaffer. Lingering within every kiss he shared with Hinata, it was there still: intermingled with that alike but separate love he held for her, preventing Naruto from ever feeling wholly satisfied and instead constantly reaching for some ceaseless itch, all while wondering ‘what if’. Caged behind his ribs it thrummed against the back of his sternum and curled around his lungs in a commensalistic dance, perfusing the contents of his chest such that he would become hollow and bereft were it ever to leave. Like a drug, Naruto was addicted to this sorrowful love; his body ravaged by cravings as it denatured his self-control, leaving him jittery, starved, foaming at the mouth, and willing to risk it all for one more hit - despite never having gotten a proper taste to begin with.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When his stomach was done emptying its emptiness, Naruto stood upright, spitting out as much of the thickened saliva swarming his gums as he could, before wiping the excess from his mouth with the back of his hand. He’d fled from the room as soon as Madara’s body fell, the elder Uchiha dropping like a sack of potatoes. Exactly how he imagined Sasuke’s had, upon hearing it thud against the bathroom floor. It made him sick - literally - and it made him furious. Regardless of whatever Madara did, Sasuke had still died. He had successfully taken his own life. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Most people didn’t get lucky like that, didn’t have a Madara or whoever else. Because that’s all it was, in Naruto’s mind: luck. It didn’t make anything better, didn’t undo what happened, what he saw and what he felt. Naruto was relieved and ecstatic and so fucking grateful for what Madara did, but nothing was fixed by his sacrifice. There was a problem before Sasuke’s death and a different problem created by it, one traded for the other; now, the old issue was back, the new one was here to stay, and both were compounding one another. So, it didn’t change the fact that Naruto’s heart had </span>
  <em>
    <span>shattered</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that his mind was</span>
  <em>
    <span> fractured</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that his spirit was</span>
  <em>
    <span> utterly decimated</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Sasuke Uchiha’s wake, or that </span>
  <b>he too</b>
  <span> had drowned in his own despair, had died kicking and screaming in that hallway-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto turned on his heel and stormed back through the double doors at the hospital’s entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>-because no one was reviving Naruto. No, he was not so lucky. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Blood roared in Naruto’s ears as he wove through the bland corridors, back towards the OR where Sasuke should have woken up. When he arrived, however, there was no sign of the Uchiha he was looking for - only Madara, as his body was being covered with a sheet by Lady Tsunade and one of the nurses. Tsunade’s head snapped up when he approached, concern flooding her features. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Naruto, where did you go, are you alright?” Tsunade asked, reaching towards him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He swallowed the urge to laugh at the ridiculous question -  he’d already tarnished too many of his relationships within the past hour. “Where is he?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sakura is with him - he’s being transferred to a room in the hospital’s inpatient ward,” she said. “North wing, first floor, room two-oh-nine.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Naruto exhaled. “Thanks, granny.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto hurried out of the room before she could try and get him to stop and talk to her; try to provide parental guidance, or something. Tsunade had lost her two most important people to horrific injuries as well, and if anyone could understand what he was going through it was her. But he didn’t want sympathy right now. Shit, what he really wanted was to just hit something; not any person, but a tree or a boulder or an entire fucking mountain, to try and vent the pressure mounting in his skull. First he wanted answers, though, and Sasuke was going to give them to him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even he knew that the only reason he hadn’t gone completely psychotic yet was because, for once, Kurama was withholding his chakra. In fact he was hiding it, actively resisting Naruto’s anger, an unprecedented happenstance. Then again, today was full of those, so was it really all that surprising that the ‘demon’ fox didn’t want to get involved either? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Naruto reached room number two-zero-nine, his recollection of the time between leaving the OR and arriving at his destination had already faded. A faint shroud of chakra tickled his senses, in what appeared to him to be some kind of sound barrier put up for privacy. So it was true, Naruto thought: Madara’s jutsu had really worked. Blinking as he stared through the thick, glass cut-out in the door, Naruto watched Sakura fuss over her companion and patient, pressing a plastic water cup to his lips and gently coaxing him to take in the clear fluid. Her eyes were rimmed in red and her hands shook but they were tremors of shock, weariness, and relief; not anger. Not hurt. Perhaps Sakura was stronger than him, perhaps she just had less of a heart. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Or, perhaps, the factors determining their individual responses were far more complex than a simple black or white dichotomy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The door creaked open and Sakura’s gaze shifted up to meet his, mouth opening slightly as apprehension flickered across her features. Naruto’s eyes drifted downwards and focused on the gentle pulse of Sasuke’s throat as he swallowed small mouthfuls of water, his skin still paler in color than usual and adorned in a clammy sheen, but otherwise appearing healthy. Alive. Black eyes fixated on the wall in front of Sasuke, refusing to look at Naruto while Sakura quietly left his side. She stepped towards the blonde, opening her mouth to speak and then closing it a moment later. Instead of saying anything, Sakura cast one last forlorn glance at the fragile man behind her and left the room, leaving the two of them alone. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Instantly, the air became colder, as Naruto’s darkened chakra permeated the space around them; the silence hung thick and heavy like a fog, stretching on and on and on without either man daring to break it first. Sasuke scratched the back of his head, causing the blanket wrapped around him to slip down and reveal a somewhat boney forearm not covered by the thin, half-sleeve hospital gown they had dressed him in for the time being. He was much thinner than Naruto remembered him to be at the end of the war. He looked frail, like he might fall apart and disappear again at any time. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke was such a soft and messy thing, Naruto thought, nobody knew how to take care of him. Except for Naruto, and Sasuke refused to let him do even that much. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How could you?” Naruto asked in a low voice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Sasuke’s eyes flicked over to him - guarded, weary, and so infuriatingly difficult to decipher just like they always were. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I have so much shit that I wanna say to you, Sasuke-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then say it,” Sasuke said, interrupting him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck were you thinking, Sasuke? How could you, how could you do something like this?” Naruto yelled, the sudden rise in volume causing Sasuke to flinch. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke’s breathing sped up in tune with his heartbeat, but he did not say anything or make any attempt to answer the blonde. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A part of me feels bad for you, you know,” Naruto began again. “But at the same time I, you just look so weak and I’m mad at you! Fuck, Sasuke. I don’t mean to be insensitive, but god dammit - look what you did! I had to, I had to put...”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He glanced down at his lap, gaze unreadable, and then looked back up at Naruto. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so fucking upset!” Naruto cried, voice cracking as tears began to flow anew from the corners of his eyes. “How could you be so selfish? You left me, you left me completely helpless. I had to pick up your fucking intestines and stuff them back inside of you, Sasuke. Shit, dude. What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Sasuke whispered, emotion cracking through his stony exterior and exposing his guilt and despair and humiliation to Naruto, but it wasn’t enough. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto laughed, short and bitter. “You’re fucking sorry, how rich . Then why the hell did you do it? Why, Sasuke? You should have just talked to one of us. Why would you do this to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“To you? ” Sasuke snarled back, the blonde’s anger rubbing off on him. “I didn’t do this to you , Naruto. This isn’t fucking about you! Not everything can be fixed by talking about it. There comes a point where talking about it doesn’t make you feel better anymore, and that point came and went years ago. So I just lived with my mouth closed and my walls up and my heart hidden because it was the only way for me to survive.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Survive? Gutting yourself is what you call surviving?” Naruto scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you’re not listening , Naruto. That isn’t what I meant.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you, I am listening! What are you saying , though? Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I fucking hate myself, okay?” Sasuke replied, his voice rising sharply in pitch before breaking off; the sound of a dam cracking under the force of an entire ocean’s worth of suffering. “I don’t belong here. I don’t deserve to be alive right now, and I didn’t deserve to before, either. I lost my entire family when I was seven. Itachi forced me to watch it through his eyes. Every. Single. Murder. My aunt and uncle, cousins, pregnant women, infants . I had to see him skewer every last one of them. Over and over again.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shifting to sit on the edge of the bed so that he was facing him, Sasuke afforded Naruto the full view of his face. Tears were streaming down Sasuke’s cheeks, and it was rare for him to cry. Although lately, Naruto noted, he had seen Sasuke cry more often than he had during the entirety of their adolescence. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how that feels, what that does to your head? I’ve been suicidal since I was nine, Naruto. Nine . Don’t you get it? Killing Itachi was my only reason to live, to keep going. And Itachi is dead now, I killed him, so that was it. There was nothing left for me! Nothing but guilt, and pain, and feeling worthless, and all of the nightmarish shit cluttering my mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you, Sasuke,” Naruto said in a half-whimper, half-yell. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Sasuke scowled. “Sorry, is that not good enough for-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You had me. You have me, Sasuke, you always did - all you had to do was let me in.” Naruto’s voice had softened considerably, settling back into a more normal tone for him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The rise and fall of Sasuke’s chest did not come without effort, that much Naruto could tell - he seemed conflicted. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t,” Sasuke murmured. “I can’t. I don’t deserve you, and you don’t deserve to have to put up with me. Everything I touch, I ruin, Naruto - I won’t do that to you, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you shitting me, Sasuke?” Naruto laughed incredulously, a fresh wave of rage heating his cheeks. “You did ruin me! You died , Sasuke, you were dead. Gone. Gone . You left me, and I felt - no, I feel so fucking lost without you. So you don’t get any say in what I do or don’t deserve. And I hate the fact that you think the world is better off without you. What if Madara hadn’t been here, or hadn’t offered himself up? You died, you goddamn bastard, and it broke me into a million pieces. And even now, even now I’m not sure if I’ll ever find them all again. It killed me, too, but there isn't anyone around who's gonna fix that, you know!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But you still have Sakura, and Kakashi, and Hinata, and everyone else. Don’t put so much value in me, idiot!” Sasuke argued. “I’m not worth the trouble. Not good enough for you. Not enough, period.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto turned around and stormed towards the door, but he didn’t leave; instead, he located the barrier seal and performed several hand signs before infusing it with his own chakra. The window in the door and on the exterior wall both darkened, indicating that they were now sealed away from the outside world, tucked into a space where there was nothing of importance beyond the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you hear anything I said after our fight in the valley, Sasuke?” Naruto asked, turning back around and rooting himself in the ground several paces away from the man in question.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I did. I get that you value me as a friend, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No. That isn’t what I’m talking about.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...what?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Clenching his fists in frustration, Naruto tried not to let his anger run rampant again. Surely Sasuke was playing dumb right now, he wasn’t this stupid. Friend. Friend. That could not have been anything other than a joke. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You took everything from me today, you know,” Naruto said. “I had even started thinking about us, about….something stupid, so don't worry about it. But now-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“About what, Naruto?” Sasuke demanded. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“About you and me, Sasuke. You were always beautiful to me, always enough for me, you were always the one I was so certain about.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I...what are you even saying, Usuratonkachi?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto took three long strides towards Sasuke before stopping so that he was standing directly in front of the other man. Sasuke was a bit taller than Naruto, and when he straightened his back fully while sitting on the bed his head landed at just about chest level on the blonde. Reaching a tentative hand out, Naruto grazed his fingers along Sasuke’s forehead, brushing his unkempt bangs away from his eyes. He trailed a single digit down the bridge of Sasuke’s nose, the soft touch causing the latter to shiver ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Continuing his descent, Naruto traced along the outline of Sasuke’s lips; soft, enticing, unattainable, not belonging to him. When he reached the edge of Sasuke’s sharp jawline Naruto splayed his fingers out over the left side of Sasuke’s face, cupping his cheek and tilting his head upwards. Sasuke’s dark eyes swam with a mixture of confusion, anticipation, and a faint trace of longing as he waited with bated breath for whatever Naruto was going to do or say next. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was hesitating, staring at Sasuke’s lips and grazing the pad of his thumb back and forth along the full bottom half and causing him to shift uncomfortably beneath Naruto’s gaze. Sasuke blinked and it was as if his long, thick lashes were enticing him, trying to draw him closer. Did he want to cross this line? Did Sasuke want him to? Did Naruto even care? Naruto wasn’t sure whether or not they would be able to go back to the way things were if he-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No, Naruto decided, halting that train of thought. What a farce. Nothing was ever going to be the way it was before, not after what happened. There was nothing left for Naruto to lose, so he might as well indulge in this one thing just to see what would happen, how it could feel. What they could have had.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bending down, Naruto closed the distance between them until their noses were almost touching. He could feel Sasuke’s breathing pick up again: cool, shallow gusts of air fanned across Naruto’s mouth and chin, pushing against his own warm exhales. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re wrong, Sasuke. I did lose everything,” Naruto whispered, tongue darting out to wet his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sasuke stared back at him, unblinking, waiting and hoping against hope that Naruto would keep going. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"You are my everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the span of a single, fluid moment, two lifetimes worth of anticipation collided and collapsed into a singularity, echoing outwards with all the terrific longing of unfulfilled desires. Naruto slanted his mouth against Sasuke’s, tender and compassionate while he held back the enormity of the need he felt, lest he overwhelm the man. Instinctively, Sasuke froze - despite the equal fervor of his own want. He was shaken up, sensitive - they both were - and Naruto knew this, only lingering together for a moment before pulling away again. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the rose colored blush tinting Sasuke’s cheeks and the wide, unbelieving look in his eyes; a stark contrast to his usually cold and masculine exterior. Though it was not new information, being this close to Sasuke reminded Naruto that his eyes were not so black and lifeless as they appeared to be from afar: they were a rich, purplish brown, almost like the chocolates Sasuke claimed to abhor. Chocolates that - every year during their early teens - he had so craved to gift the Uchiha with each time Valentine's Day rolled around. But that was not something boys did for other boys, it was not accepted at the time and even now was still painfully taboo outside of their peer generation. So Naruto would sit back and watch with disguised, petulant glee as Sasuke mercilessly rejected the advances of any who approached him. It felt like he was seeing Sasuke like this for the first time all over again, and Naruto thought he looked breathtaking under this renewed light. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I misspoke that day, when I said that I loved you,” Naruto said. “There is no past tense. I still do. Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then don’t stop,” Sasuke said, his voice faint but sincere. “Don’t stop, Naruto.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not needing to be told a third time, Naruto kissed him again with a little more confidence, and Sasuke returned the gesture in kind. Feeling him press back caused a contented sigh to push its way out from Naruto's lungs. Even after all these years, Sasuke tasted the same as he remembered; it wasn't an exact flavor that Naruto could describe, but rather it was familiar, and correct. He didn't taste like something distinct or other, he tasted like fresh air or cold water on a hot day - like he belonged, like he was an extension of Naruto's own being. Sasuke was a part of him, not some fleeting sensation such as 'taste'. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He did, however, smell surprisingly pleasant for someone who had recently been a corpse; then again, Naruto had been sweaty, bloody, and most previously a dry-heaving mess, so neither had room to complain about potential odors. A moot point in the end, since they couldn't have cared less either way. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The hand cradling Sasuke's face combed its way through his bangs and along his scalp, nesting comfortably within the silk strands covering his nape. This new grip allowed Naruto to pull them even closer together, claiming Sasuke's mouth as if it had always belonged to him. Which was how it should have been, Naruto thought, as Sasuke's right hand flew out and fisted itself into the soft black cotton of his shirt, clinging onto him like a needy child. Humming with satisfaction regarding Sasuke's eager reaction, Naruto gave a light tug on the base of his lover's hair, causing his jaws to part open in a surprised gasp. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He seized the opportunity provided to nudge his tongue into the warm embrace of Sasuke's own keening mouth, drawing a low moan out of the other man. Gripping at Sasuke's hip with his free hand, Naruto settled himself as best he could between the other's legs. He could practically feel the velvet, smooth texture of Sasuke’s skin beneath the airy fabric of whatever sorry undergarments had been provided by the hospital.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The hunched over position soon grew uncomfortable for Naruto, and didn’t provide the unrestrained access he so desired. As gently as he could - though still without warning - Naruto lifted Sasuke upwards by the backs of his thighs. Ignoring his adorable yelp of surprise, Naruto turned them around and sat himself down where Sasuke had been, placing him onto his lap so that his legs were straddling him. It was a position he’d only ever seen or used with women, and so Naruto was slightly worried that Sasuke might hate it; but there was no protest from the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he impatiently molded his lips and tongue back with Naruto’s, wrapping his one arm around the blonde’s shoulders to keep himself steady. After letting the blanket fall from Sasuke’s shoulders, Naruto slipped an arm around his waist for added support, simultaneously tightening his hold on Sasuke and pulling them that much closer. The slight movement caused an unexpected, faint, and shockingly pleasant friction between their hips, and Naruto reflexively bit down on Sasuke’s lip, eliciting a delicious sounding, high-pitched whimper from the raven.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like Naruto was in a dream. He dreamt of Sasuke often, it was true, and so somewhere in the back of Naruto's mind it all seemed a little too perfect, too convenient. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An additional layer of desire began to build within both of the men: something repressed, something they each - separately - had only ever indulged in during private moments, alone with nothing but their hand and lecherous thoughts of the other to keep them company. Naruto boldly slipped his hand beneath the open-back of the hospital gown, splaying his fingers across Sasuke's hot skin and grazing over the bump of his spine. He really has gotten thin, Naruto thought, smoothing his hand upwards and over the back of his rib cage where the skin was more sensitive, and wondering if he had been this boney earlier that morning. How he had possibly failed to notice. Just like he had failed to notice that Sasuke was-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sasuke was slumped against the wall at an unnatural angle, blood draining from his body and his peaceful, sleeping face to pool on the bathroom tiles. And his stomach, oh god; he was no expert on anatomy but even he knew that these things weren't meant to be visible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Naruto!" Sasuke’s shout dispersed the fog in his mind; he was becoming impatient. "I asked, about what - what were you thinking 'about us'?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that the dream ended, and all of the darkness and harsh truth of reality came crashing down around Naruto. But the feeling, that blissful wholeness, still lingered on his lips - and even though he knew it was not real, Naruto was breathless when he woke up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stood back in that same spot, three long steps in-between Sasuke and himself; back where the fantasy had begun, back where the two branches of fate were budding and ready to sprout into trees. The air felt meaningless and stagnant as it sat in Naruto's lungs, incomplete now that he was disconnected from the sweet exhales of the moon in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Naruto remembered how he'd fallen with such terrific speed, and compared it to how easily he had melted within the dream just then. How easy it was to abandon all else, and to be selfish. He should have known better than to fall more in love with Sasuke. He'd told him about his heart: that it was cold, relentless, broken, and irredeemable. But foolish, naive little Naruto had just flashed his goofy grin at the raven-haired boy, and told him he would fix it. He would bring Sasuke back to the village, or worst case, he would die to keep Sasuke from destroying it. They would die together because if Naruto had to kill Sasuke anyways, then there would no longer be any reason for him to go back home or become Hokage. Not if he wasn't complete. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In the end Naruto failed; now everything was over and he was the one who needed fixing. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were living in different chapters of the same book, and for a long time Naruto hoped that they would meet up again before the story was over. And maybe they would, eventually, but ‘eventually’ was not that moment. ‘Eventually’ was not today.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Anger and sadness roiled in the pit of Naruto's stomach, dark and storming and threatening to come untethered - and that is how Naruto knew what path he had to choose. Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a good reason. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Vulnerable black eyes were still staring at Naruto, watching him carefully and swimming with anticipation, with hope. For a moment he was almost sucked in all over again, ready to fling himself into Sasuke's space, to kiss him with all of the passion that he'd withheld during that short dream - that illusion of a beautiful unreality - and bind them together in eternity. But Naruto Uzumaki was stronger than some carnal temptation. Or perhaps he really was just scared, terrified of whatever unimaginable anguish awaited him if he were to somehow sink even further into abyssal depths of their bond. Afraid that the red string of fate would tangle itself into a noose and wrap around his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I told you it's nothing. Look, I'm sorry, Sasuke-"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was killing him, what he had to say, because what he really wanted to say was precisely what he'd said in that other world.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You're my everything, my all and more.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"-but I need room to breathe." </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When there was no blatant protest from his friend and the grief - the sorrowful love - started to upwell again, Naruto spun around and began to walk out of the room, dismissing the barrier he had placed. Pulling Sasuke's Hitai-ate from his pocket, Naruto stopped and stared at the relic for a moment. To him, it was a physical symbol of the truth that existed between them, of that particular thread in their bond which held the potential for something greater, something unknown, something dangerous. Something Naruto had held onto for so long, waiting and hoping for a chance that he now decided had come too late and at too great a cost. Something he could no longer bear to keep watch over while foolishly believing that Sasuke would ever be ready to accept it, that he would suddenly become capable of being something he was not. So Naruto ripped the bandage from his heart, believing that Sasuke would understand what this action meant, and hung the old hitai-ate on the inside doorknob for Sasuke to retrieve.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In his mind, this was him taking the easy way out, too - the path of least resistance - and was perhaps the only time in all his life that Naruto had put himself first. The only time he chose something other than just 'Sasuke'. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A part of Naruto wished he could have a second chance to meet Sasuke for the first time, to re-do those critical moments leading up to the present so that maybe, </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> they would have a chance. It hurt that this was the end for them - they were supposed to be better than this. They could have been the greatest story. But even if he didn't want to, there were things in life that Naruto had to accept, or had to learn, and there were people he couldn't live without that he would have to let go of regardless. It would leave - and already had left - a gaping wound in Naruto's heart, one that he knew was probably never going to heal, but he couldn't just sit around and stare at his wounds forever.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Life carried on - people depended on Naruto, and Naruto couldn't be dependable if the person that he himself became dependent upon was unreliable.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The first lone wave in a new ocean of tears cascaded down Naruto's cheeks, sweeping across the shared continent of their love and eroding the edges until it became unrecognizable, as Naruto shut the door on 'what if' and sealed their fate for the final time. Thus the sun and the moon would continue their cosmic dance, circling around one another but never drawing near enough to become fully immersed within the other's orbit.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <b>9:51 P.M. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day bled into nightfall and Sasuke waited, but Naruto never showed up again. When darkness fell over the outside world, things became so much more difficult, and now Sasuke had neither the literal Sun nor </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> sun to keep the black from swallowing him whole. He hadn’t moved for the entire day since laying flat on his back after retrieving his old hitai-ate from the doorknob, where Naruto had left it. Where he had finally ended their game of cat and mouse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sasuke held the forehead protector above him, tilting it to and fro and hypnotizing himself with the flashes of light caused by the shift in reflection of each movement. The thing that hurt Sasuke the most wasn’t that Naruto didn’t want him anymore, but that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted him and no longer did. It was the ultimate rejection, and probably well-deserved; but still it ached, forming deep bruises all throughout his heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The hurt was only compounded by the things that Sasuke hadn’t gotten the chance to say. Because he had seen his true self, his unbreakable bond to the sun, but Sasuke had been too busy answering Naruto’s questions of why he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> do 'it' and failed to address why he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>do such a thing ever again. Why his biggest regret in life was that he had said no to Naruto every step of the way due to his own uncertainty. Why now, after today, he was finally ready to start saying ‘yes’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It almost felt like he had let his guard down, only for Naruto to yank the rug out from underneath them both. But that wasn’t a fair analogy, because even if that was how it seemed from Sasuke’s perspective, Naruto wasn’t actually a mind-reader. Naruto could read him well, yes, and even liked to think that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> literally read Sasuke’s thoughts, but that only applied to things which Sasuke had expressed before in some way - Naruto was only ever making predictions based on past behaviors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally it was an accurate enough assumption to go on, but not in this case. Sasuke hadn’t ever done anything like what he’d been about to do. However, old habits die hard: he clammed up, shut up, and sat back like a mute idiot without saying anything, even as Naruto turned his back and left the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Naruto had never walked away before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t just walked away from Sasuke, either - no one could find Naruto. Sasuke thought everyone should have been panicking, but Sakura reminded him that Naruto had dedicated his life to protecting the village. Naruto would never leave the village. And Naruto was human and was dealing with a lot of emotions, just like Sasuke and herself, and probably just needed a little time to himself. Alone with mother nature, and possibly Kurama. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sasuke thought it sounded pretty reasonable, what Sakura said. That was something he himself struggled with. Logic came naturally to Sasuke - he was very logical and calculated in most things, especially in combat. Logic was a science that followed clearly defined rules and employed critical thinking. It was the framework for reasoning about something, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>reason</span>
  </em>
  <span> itself was subject to personal opinion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was why ‘reason’ has always been something that both Naruto and Sakura surpassed him in; they excelled in the area of reason - Naruto especially, when it came to interpersonal matters. So, Sasuke was grateful for Sakura’s voice of reason. Hers was gentle and accessible, not overwhelming and intense in the way that Naruto’s was. Instead of clashing with his structured way of thinking, Sakura’s ideas would slowly ebb into his mind’s ocean of logic-derived information, and there they swirled together into comprehension. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The entire afternoon seemed to last a lifetime, and somehow just by having her sit with him while he laid back and stared at the ceiling, only conversing when it occurred naturally, Sasuke started to understand Sakura Haruno a little bit better. He could be certain that she was still his friend, even if Naruto was currently an unknown. That was someone, and for today that was enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Sasuke heard the creak of the doorknob beginning to turn his heart jumped into his throat. Had Naruto returned? He wondered. The door eased open and it was not Naruto, but someone equally unexpected standing on the other side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Aratashiki?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to bother you,” she said. “Can I come in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure,” Sasuke replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was wary of her as she walked over towards the window, stopping in front of it and staring out into the night. Sakura had told him earlier that she’d been in a coma since their battle. Apparently the girl hadn’t been joking or being dramatic when she hastily explained to Naruto that she was ‘not going to wake up for a while’. Sasuke had been a little pissed off at the time, thinking that Aratashiki was leaving them just to take a nap or something. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, something strange had happened then - something Sasuke couldn’t completely explain, and didn’t understand regarding </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> she did it. Naruto and Sasuke had been thrust...</span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>, either back in time or into someone’s memories. It was different from merely showing a memory, like how Itachi had shown him memories. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>living out</span>
  </em>
  <span> the memories, experiencing every thought and emotion that the original actor had. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They first saw memories of a child living in another world, a place not unlike their own but still completely alien. And, they’d soon realized, that was because it was literally alien. Kaguya Otsutsuki was a young girl, not more than fourteen, and was simply going about her daily life alongside some companion whom they were watching it all through. Sasuke had quickly deduced that the perspective they were seeing things from was Aratashiki’s own, which was soon confirmed within the memory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, they had seen some of Kaguya’s own life during which she lived among humanity. Including the more important interactions with her sons Hagoromo and Hamura, and the eventual fight which resulted in her concealment within the moon. This was the part that vexed Sasuke - that Aratashiki was able to show them someone else’s life, a life that she herself had </span>
  <em>
    <span>no knowledge of</span>
  </em>
  <span> - beyond the fact that it had certainly been lived. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The surreal experience did not last long, but was still long enough to show them a potential weakness within their foe. One that was, while unexpected and a bit ridiculous, very useful in the end, and that allowed them to distract her long enough to perform the seal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had only glimpsed a fraction of this woman’s abilities but they baffled him, and often he speculated about what it would be like if they’d been fighting her instead. They managed to defeat Kaguya, but it was only by the skin of their teeth, and although she wasn't too far behind, Kaguya didn’t show the same level of power that Aratashiki had. In fact, Kaguya had seemed a little afraid of Aratashiki.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So if they did fight her, he did not think it would go very well. And Sasuke Uchiha had difficulty trusting that kind of power.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not to be rude, but why are you even here? Aren't you immortal?" Sasuke asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Immortality simply implies immunity to the state of being subject to true death. It provides no protection from the consequences of being alive,” Ara murmured. “There is no escaping cause and effect, only side-stepping it for short periods.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sasuke was neither looking for nor expecting such a bizarre and cryptic answer to a simple question, and for a moment he was reminded of the pain experienced when trying to have any kind of discussion with Itachi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” He couldn’t think of any other way to respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ara snapped out of her trance and turned towards him, an apologetic smile on her face. “Sorry. I’m not here for treatment, just being kept so they can run tests or something. Not, like, experiments or anything….it’s a long story, and I don’t feel like talking about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah. So then...was there something else?” Sasuke winced. He didn’t intend to sound so rude all of the time, but apparently that was his way of speaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glanced down at the hitai-ate that was now clutched against his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wear mine either,” Ara said. “I tried for a while - even made a big show of putting it on when they gave it to me. That was the last time I put it on, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure where she was headed with that statement, but nonetheless Sasuke found himself nodding in acknowledgement, encouraging her to continue. After all, he didn’t have anything better to do, and being alone was not ideal. Having to listen to his own thoughts was not favorable, either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if you even remember what I showed you, but I’ve always been an outsider. Even if I were human, I wouldn’t fit in here, not completely. I’m...not educated about a lot of things that are integral to actually being a part of society; some of which isn’t ever taught, but learned through having normal life experiences. And I don’t have the ‘Will of Fire’ either. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a shinobi. I have all this power, but honestly? I barely even know how to use most of it, all I do know right now is that I used it and in doing so almost completely ruined everyone’s lives. Now, anyone who recognizes what I am probably won’t trust me. You don’t trust me, either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last point was correct, and it felt more like she was stating a fact rather than attempting to call him out. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Ara, just staring at her for a moment and wondering why she chose to come confide in the black sheep, the suicidal maniac - and then he 'got' it, and felt a bit stupid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, it sounds like we have a bit in common, then,” Sasuke said. “Welcome to the ‘shunned by the village’ club.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aratashiki laughed, leaning back against the window. “I wasn’t going to say it first, but yes. I guess...I just wanted you to know that your sense of being an ‘Other’ is valid, even if no one else understands, or dismisses it. So there is always me, if you need someone who can relate. However, I won’t claim to understand how you feel about everything else.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt like she was proposing an alliance of sorts, which Sasuke didn’t expect. Up until now she’d been, to him, an intimidating background presence and nothing more. Interacting with his classmates as if they were good friends, sitting and watching over himself, Naruto, Madara, and Hashirama while they debated with one another inside of her dimension, showing him and Naruto part of another life. Yet even when he was living through her experiences, Sasuke wasn’t thinking of ‘Aratashiki’ as a person. Not until talking with her in the present moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sasuke realized then that he’d thought of almost everyone in his life that same way whenever he initially met them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” he finally replied, supposing that he shouldn’t turn away a potential friend. Or even a potential acquaintance, since he had a chronic lack of either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he looked back at Aratashiki she was staring at the ground again, biting her cheek in apparent conflict about something. Remembering that she had been unconscious for more than a month, Sasuke had a strong inclination that she wished to seek information from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it won’t be insensitive to bring up. In fact, I’m happy to discuss literally anything other than my current situation,” Sasuke said with a short laugh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pale blue eyes flicked upwards to meet his gaze. Their blue was speckled with yellow and more teal in color, rather than the deep sapphire of Naruto’s. He was thankful for this distinction. Sasuke’s initial impression was that Aratashiki was very similar to Naruto, and in some ways that was true, but at the same time she was unequivocally disparate from the blonde - a reality that wasn’t obvious to him from afar. When she hesitated again, Sasuke continued to guess her thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You want to know what happened. With Kaguya.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At last she moved, sighing and nodding her head in confirmation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...I’ve kind of been dying to know, and right now you’re the only person I can ask,” she said, grinning sheepishly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t feel bad. Do you mind if I just show you? It won’t be interesting if I explain it, I’m not a good storyteller.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She agreed to the idea, and so Sasuke used his mangekyou sharingan to put her under a genjutsu and relayed his memories of the fight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After Kabuto’s body had been taken over by Black Zetsu and forcibly turned into the Ten-tails jinchuuriki, Kabuto used his new and immense power to unleash a literal </span>
  <em>
    <span>tsunami</span>
  </em>
  <span> of chakra-absorbing snakes. The disgusting, writhing mass of reptiles swept out across the battlefield and swarmed their forces, greedily sucking down the chakra of anyone unable to escape. Which was the majority of their shinobi. In less time than there was to react, he had apparently leeched enough of the stuff for Zetsu to call forth his ‘mother’ - and that was when Kaguya appeared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To add insult to injury, Kaguya immediately cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi so that she could begin collecting her chakra from the rest of the world. Sasuke, Obito, and Madara were able to block it’s light with their rinnegan, shielding themselves along with Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Aratashiki’s unconscious body. Soon after, Team 7 confronted Kaguya - who Aratashiki noticed never spoke herself, instead letting her creepy zetsu do it for her - and refused to give audience to the monologue Zetsu had prepared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kaguya dragged them through several of her dimensions as they fought, and - both surprisingly and unsurprisingly - neglected to bring Aratashiki or Madara Uchiha along for the ride; a wise decision on her part. Meaning that, for an entire day and while the world was in limbo, Aratashiki’s body was dutifully babysat by a crew of very powerful zombies, and Madara.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aside from that comedic bit, the battle was quite harrowing for Ara to watch. Naruto and Sasuke’s strength was impressive, but it was still only enough for a narrow victory. Things could have gone terribly wrong at any moment. Additionally, if not for Hagoromo, the aforementioned heroes along with Sakura, Kakashi, Obito and the Bijuu would still be trapped inside of Kaguya’s hellworld. Apart from the Bijuu, they would have also all been dead by the time Aratashiki woke from her slumber.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The vision lasted less than a minute, and when it ended Aratashiki had gone pale, an anxious look in her eyes. He thought the reaction a little odd, since she ought to be relieved that everything turned out okay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, thanks, for showing me,” she finally said. “I...I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did help. Thanks to you, Naruto had a moment of genius that won us the fight,” Sasuke pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a beat of silence while she stared at him in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The um, well when you showed us Kaguya’s life, Naruto drew the conclusion that-” Sasuke paused, trying to think of a proper way to word the statement “-basically, that ‘reverse harem’ jutsu Naruto used to distract her wasn’t a fluke. He had good reason to believe that it would work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Realization dawned on Aratashiki’s face, and a moment later she exploded with laughter. “Oh my god. I just wanted to show you her abilities, I didn’t think her </span>
  <em>
    <span>thirst</span>
  </em>
  <span> was going to be...and that means that even as an adult she was still...oh my god.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even the most dire of situations and the most dangerous foes could still be a source of great humor. In Kaguya Otsutsuki’s case, her own romantic personality and her unrestrained desire for men of particular types had been used against her not once, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>twice</span>
  </em>
  <span> - the second time leading to her demise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, that’s why they call Naruto the ‘number one most unpredictable ninja,” Sasuke laughed; a short-lived sound that more closely resembled a huff, and soon the amusement fell from his face. “Naruto’s always been special…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Naruto was everything, Sasuke thought, and he’d walked away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aratashiki didn’t say anything else. She sat on the ground and they remained in comfortable silence for over an hour until Sasuke began to doze off, at which point she bid him goodnight. Sasuke told Ara that she was welcome to come back at any time, if she ever felt inclined to be bored inside of the mental health ward rather than her own hospital room. Both the joke and the offer caught her off-guard for a moment, but then she began to laugh, and warned him to be careful what he wished for. She promised to return, however. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sasuke was glad, thankful for the assured company after so many years of loneliness.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>